9 The Savior Returns
by Celestial Rainstorm
Summary: Three months after the defeat of the Fabrication Machine, 9 finally has a chance to redeem himself and make the world right again. However, the stitchpunk coven is unexpectedly thrust into the Second War of the Machines. This final battle will determine the fate of the coven and thier world. 9 must discover his destiny as his race against time quickly becomes a race for survial.
1. Nightmares And Moving Onwards

**Everyone, it is a new year. That means it's new beginnings. Especially in the case of _9_. **

**I took this story down two years ago after it was hailed as one of the best _9_ fics of all time. It was fashioned as a sequel to _9_. Why I took it down, I cannot say. Even now I've forgotten. I hope everyone who has ever asked me to repost my favorite story of all time will be happy, and will have a chance to read it once more. 9 will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I hope he will for you too. **

**Disclaimers: 9 and 7 is the single pairing for this story. 4 and 3 are brothers in my universe. There is ONE OC, and it's a Machine - there will be no stitchpunk OCS for me, now and never. I do not own 9 - that privilage will forever belong to the brilliant Shane Acker and Tim Burton. **

**Sit back, relax, as I now re-present_ 9: The Savior Returns._ **

**Chapter 1: Nightmares And Moving Onwards**

His legs ached and his artificial lungs burned. His heart was pounding so hard, it felt as if would soon beat itself out of his chest. The burning cathedral seemed miles upon miles away. He couldn't reach it fast enough – no matter how fast he was running, no matter how hard his feet were pounding the earth below. However, he could clearly see the sky-licking fire coming from the church off in the distance, illuminating the inky night sky.

Over hills, past broken wheels and splintering wood, he ran. He ran until he finally infiltrated the cathedral. The cold night air was quickly replaced by burning smoke and a dancing inferno. He didn't slow, however. He dodged the flames, time running short. He ran through the cathedral that he had once called home, racing room after room. The blaze obscured his vision as he searched the church desperately. He needed to find them, he _needed_ to – before_ it_ happened. Before history repeated itself.

He could hear the screams of each stitchpunk all around him. It was as if they were everywhere, and their cries surrounded him. Yet no matter where he looked, he still couldn't find them. The screams he heard were all out of fear, out of rage, pain, and hurt, as the souls were sucked from their – his – friends. Those who were dead were dropped to the floor, bodies limp and lifeless. Thirsty for more souls, it pounced for its next victim. It was his fault, everything was. He woke the monster, and now it was killing them all. Each and every one. They would never be freed now.

He was badly burned all over his body and thoroughly exhausted. He finally reached the place where he knew the massacre of his coven was taking place. It was situated in a large room of some sort. Long wooden benches were piled against the walls, nothing more than splintering, blazing wreckage. A beautiful stained glass window of a male angel decorated one wall. He skidded to a stop on the burned, blackened wooden floor, and gasped in horror, eyes widening as he looked upon the horrible sight...

The Fabrication Machine was full of life and no longer dead, lying out in the Emptiness. It was roaring in triumph as it dropped a body from its razor-sharp clutches. The sparks of life surrounded its gleaming, crimson-red eye, body illuminated by the fire.

He saw that the body it had dropped was one of the twins – 4. 4 was dead, his small, innocent spirit now absorbed into the Machine. His small, lifeless body fell onto the ground, where he lay, limp, next to his dead brother, 3.

As he saw this, he gasped as he now saw the entire scene. His heart broke. 2 was lying on his side, the frail elder broken. 1 was lying sprawled on his back, a few inches away from 8. The guardian had obviously tried to save his leader. He failed in doing so, as he was lying on his chest, dead, his mouth gaping grotesquely wide. His outstretched fingers nearly touched 1's arm. 6 was lying, crumpled, on his side. He was covered in ink from his broken fingers.

5 was nearest to him, eye patch burned through, reflecting the image of the last time he was killed. He lay sprawled on his back. He gave a cry of horror as he looked down upon his best friend. Running towards him, he kneeled beside his body, laying his hands upon 5's chest. He shook from the grief, knowing it was useless to try and wake his friend. His head then snapped up to the sound of a familiar battle cry.

7, had her skullmet bravely pulled over her face, her spear clutched in her hands. Her pale white body was illuminated orange, yellow and red, tinged with black from the burns she had on her body. She was trying to fight off the Fabrication Machine, trying to stab the talisman it had mounted upon its chest. The brave and dauntless female stitchpunk dodged the claws with intrepid grace, her ferocity keeping her alive. She wasn't dead yet. He wanted to call out to her, to tell her not to stab the talisman. He needed it to get the souls back and kill the Machine…

Suddenly, shrieking angrily, the metallic monster overwhelmed her with its claws. It knocked her spear into the fire, and then tripped her. She fell to the ground with a cry.

"No!" He yelled, and tried run towards her, panic more powerful than pain.

_Not her, not 7. Please, don't kill her, not her_, he pleaded inside his whirling mind.

The fire seemed to grow hotter as he tried to run through it. It seemed like he was becoming slower the harder he tried to reach 7. His legs ached terribly as he tried to save 7 before he was alone. However, his knees were trembling violently, and they were unable to hold the rest of his body up any longer. The weakness and the pain were overwhelming him…

The talisman glowed eerily green as the Machine held a fiercely struggling, screaming 7 in its iron clutches. Three long trails of green light burst from the talisman plates. The deadly light struck her, full-force, in the face. She was jerked forward involuntarily as it sucked the living soul, her spirit, right out of her body. He finally collapsed to the ground, incapable of taking another step forward. His eyes widened and he reached for the dying 7. His heartbeat grew slower as he succumbed to the smoke. The billowing flames grew larger…it was killing her…

"NOOO!" He screamed as flames engulfed him. "NOOOOOOOOO!"

In an instant, the inferno and sweltering heat were swept away. It was replaced by cool night air, a slight breeze flowing through the city. The stars twinkled serenely in the inky night sky. The dead stitchpunks, the fire, and the Fabrication Machine all disappeared as 9 awoke from the nightmare. He sat bolt upright. His mechanical heart was beating painfully against his chest, his breathing extremely fast. His shaking fingers were clamped so tightly in fists it was a wonder his palms didn't crack. The echo of his scream of "no" hung in the crisp night air above him. He was blinking rapidly, trying to figure out exactly where he was. He was no longer in the burning cathedral, but lying out in the open…dead 5…dead 7…_7_…

"9?" The voice that had been yelling and screaming as the Machine grabbed her, and killed her asked him. He blinked, turned a bit, and faced 7. Her brows were furrowed in worry, and she was sitting up as well. The twins, lying beside 7, were looking up at him in worry. Their eyes flickered apprehensively. It appeared that he had woken the three with his scream of horror. The twins still lay on the ground, curled up against the cold night breeze.

Oh…sorry." He gasped, averting his eyes. The shock of the dream nearly overwhelmed him as he struggled for a breath that seemed reluctant to fight its way past the panic and alarm.

"It's okay, guys. Go back to sleep." 7 said soothingly to the twins, reaching forward with a hand and stroking their shoulders in reassurance. They glanced at one another, but conceded. Lying back down, they curled up and closed their eyes. As soon as 7 was sure that the twins were calm and falling back asleep, she turned to 9. He was rubbing the sides of his optics resignedly, eyes closed, trying to wash the images of the nightmare from his mind. His brow furrowed, his breathing slightly calmer now_. It was just a dream_, he told himself. _Just a dream_…_he and the others were safe_…_it wasn't real_…_it was just a dream_…

"9?" She asked him gently. He sighed and dropped his hands to rest on his knees before turning to face her.

"I'm sorry I woke you." He murmured softly. "Are the twins okay?"

"I'm fine, and so are the twins. But what about you? Are you okay?" She asked him. Looking worried, she peered into his face anxiously. He managed to nod, trying to keep the shaking of his hands under control.

"I…I'm fine, 7. It was just a dream. A nightmare." He said. His tense body finally relaxed, and he leaned against the wooden wall behind him. 7 lay a hand on his shoulder in concern.

"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked persistently.

"I'm fine." He reassured her, reaching up and covering her hand with his own. 7 blinked, looking unconvinced, but then withdrew. She lay back down, closing her eyes and fell asleep once more. Her soft, slow breathing filled the desolate silence. 9 watched her and the twins for a moment before he lay back down, staring fixedly at the sky. He looked at the stars for a moment, sighing to himself. His heart felt like it was ripping in two as he relived the memory his friend's deaths, just as he did in the nightmare. Closing his eyes, he too fell asleep, the images of a dead 7, dead twins, dead 5, dead everyone filling his mind. They were unable to be pushed aside, troubling his sleep for the remainder of the dreadful night.

The calm shadow of sleep abruptly ended as something shook his shoulder gently, jerking him into awareness.

"9," a familiar voice accompanied the shaking. "Come on. It's time to move."

"Alright." He said sleepily, stretching. He yawned widely and sat up, pushing himself up off his side with a hand. "I'm up, I'm up."

"Well, good morning to you too." 7 teased, smiling gently at him. He blinked, and managed to give her a small, tired smile.

"Good mornin'." He replied, getting to his feet, stifling another yawn as 7 followed. "Where are the twins?"

"They're playing nearby." 7 replied, her brows furrowing and her smile disappearing. She faced 9. "But the one I'm currently worried about is you. You seemed pretty freaked out last night. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry, 7." He replied, trying to smile at her again, but finding out that he couldn't bring himself to. He turned away, rubbing the back of his head wearily.

"You sure?" She pressed.

"7. Really, I'm sure I'm fine." He said, finally pushing himself to give her a reassuring smile. She sighed in defeat, shaking her head and turning away from him.

"I don't believe you, you know. I'm going to get the twins." She said, brows knitting in annoyance. 9 sighed, watching her as she disappeared around a corner to go find the two young boys. Closing his eyes for a moment, he jadedly leaned against the wall behind him. He felt a fresh wave of dismay crash upon him as he recollected the horrendous nightmare the night before. How real it had been. Even the pain and the heat from the fire felt real.

Later that day, 9 and 7 were walking together while the twins frolicked around. They jumped on and off rubble and other things strewn all along the ground, flickering to one another excitedly. 7 and 9 smiled and laughed as they both tumbled into one another, falling to the ground and getting themselves back up again quickly. Their eyes were alit with silent laughter. As he watched them play, 9 found himself wishing that the others were here to see the twins' adorable antics as well. The smile slid off of his face and he looked at the ground below him.

"9. I know something is bothering you." 7 said, peering into his face, noticing his sudden change of mood. He looked up at her and then averted his eyes once more, ashamed to even look her in the face. He was overwhelmingly reminded that she had once loved them too.

"It's just…hard. Hard to live on, while the others are…" he trailed off, and the sentence hung in the air before he continued. "I wish I could just make things right again…just to have a second chance." He finished softly, closing his eyes and sighing quietly. He opened his eyes again when 7 gently took his hand in hers.

"I know, 9. But it will be okay. The others are alright. They're at peace now, and there's nothing we can do. But we still have the twins, and sooner or later, we will have a place to call home. We're safe now." She said, clutching his hand tighter. He gave an answering, grateful grasp. The two continued to walk together, hand-in-hand, dark clouds above threatening rain. 7 cast a wary glance up at them before turning back to the young man, who was watching the twins play.

"I think we need to rest tonight. Get down early." 7 said to him. He tore his eyes from the twins and looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face.

"But we need to find a…" 9 began, sounding worried.

"I know we need to find a home, 9." 7 said, finishing his sentence. "But I don't want to exhaust the twins. We've been getting up at dawn and going to sleep at midnight for over five weeks now." She said, sounding worried about the two little ones. She glanced at them, and 9 did as well. 4 had sat down on a torn and tattered book for a moment. The pages were covered in what looked horribly like blood stains, and he was yawning widely. 3 was sitting beside him, rubbing his optics and sighing silently.

"Alright, 7. We'll rest longer tonight." He agreed, still watching the two small boys, his eyes strangely blank. 7 smiled faintly.

"Thank you, 9." She said, sounding grateful. 9 looked down at her, and she swore she saw the flicker of a smile pass through his lips. The two stitchpunks continued to watch the twins. 3 then took 4's hand, heaving him to his feet. Their weariness was pushed aside for a moment as they continued to frolic and play happily...

That night, they stopped to rest once more. They nestled together underneath a metal overhang, which appeared to be part of a rusted automobile door. 9 had found some old, but clean flannel sheets. They made a little nest in the corner of their shelter, and there they rested. 9 had taken heed to 7's words before, and the moon was barely in the sky at this moment. The twins were curled up together, already sound asleep. 7 was stretched out on her side, her back against 9's hip. He, however, was still awake. His knees were held to his chest, arms crossed over them, chin on his forearms. He was staring up at the stars through a small hole in the overhang. They sparkled serenely once the clouds from earlier had moved on elsewhere. The half-moon seemed to mirror his heart – half gone, the remaining half filled with love for the rest of his family.

"5," he said softly, not wanting to wake 7 and the twins again. He needed an answer, and his deceased friend was the first to come to mind. "I need help. I need a lot of help. I don't know what's best. I don't know what to do anymore. Please answer me." He pleaded up to the starry sky, up to the moon. It remained silent. 9 received no reply at all, not one. Disappointment overtook him. For a very long time, he had been longing to talk to 5. It was cruel that someone he had grown so close to in such a short amount of time was ripped away from him so quickly, so soon…too soon.

His eyes seemed heavy. 7 was right: they did need to rest more. He had been pressing them too much. What a stupid leader he made. He was even worse than 1 had once been, he thought to himself. He lay down, resting his aching joints. A low metallic creaking noise broke the silence as he stretched out his legs. He was still quite new to the world, and all this traveling without much rest took a toll on his body.

9 glanced at 7 and raised a hand. He slightly touched her elbow. She was too deeply asleep to acknowledge this simple, but tender touch. 9 vaguely wondered if she had simply fallen asleep next to him, or if it was on purpose. 9 was forever grateful that 7 was still his friend after all he had done to her coven, how much pain he had caused her. He withdrew his hand and looked back at the stars. They were still silent. He knew they were never going to answer him.

Sighing sadly, he closed his eyes slowly, the warmth from 7's body making him all the more tired. He was quickly thrust into a quiet sleep.


	2. Truth Dream

**Hey everyone! Sorry I was gone for so long, my computer got shut down for some odd reason. I don't even know why. They're such finicky things, aren't they? Anyway, after a long wait, here is Chapter 2 of Savior Returns. **

**Guys I cannot tell you how much I appreciate all of the reviews. At first I thought this story was completely forgotten. But you all proved me wrong! A special shoutout to Star's Snowflake for the advice. You, and always shall, rock on! Now read and review, and have a good day! **

**~Cel**

**Chapter 2: Truth Dream**

There was a dark, quiet world surrounding him. At first, he couldn't understand where he was, or what he was doing. It felt as if he was taking his first breaths of life again. Back then, he didn't know where he was, or more importantly, what or who he was. But now, he knew that he was a sentient being, a little ragdoll, and his name was 9. However, knowing these things didn't help him understand where he was now.

He was definitely standing on a solid surface, so he was more than a memory, more than some disembodied thought. But as he looked down at his copper feet, there was nothing underneath him, as if he was standing upon glass. 9 was quickly becoming frightened, and he looked out into the emptiness that surrounded him, looking for something, _anything_, that he recognized.

"Hello?" He called out into the blankness hesitantly. He wondered if there was anyone besides himself occupying this strange world, perhaps something that could answer him and tell him where he was. Yet, there could be something deadly out there. Everything was a swirling, dark blue-grey mist, and the only answer was the echo of his voice reverberating back to him from unseen walls, or hills…or whatever was hidden within this odd world. It was as if he had been sucked out of existence…like he had never been real. But that couldn't be right. He was just with 7 and the twins. Where were they? He couldn't be alone…or was he…?

"_9_."A deep, familiar voice said softly in the vast blue-grey void. 9 was startled by the sudden noise. He whirled all around, searching desperately for the voice, relieved to know that he wasn't trapped here alone. Perhaps the voice, or its owner, could tell him where he was and what happened to 7, 3 and 4. If he had a heartbeat here, it would be increasing in speed. However, he had no heartbeat. It was as if he was something more than a spirit, but less than a living, solid being. 9 couldn't see any other being within this world – he was still alone. But perhaps the voice didn't want to show itself. Perhaps it was merely waiting until his back was turned…

"W-who's there?" He yelled back to the voice, ready to run from any threat, his body tensing. "7? 3, 4?"

"_No, it's me_." The voice replied to 9, who was still whirling around trying to find the twins, 7 and the owner of the mysterious voice. The voice seemed to be the only thing in this world, this strange place. It had replaced 7 and the twins…

"What have you done with them?!" 9 demanded, still tensed. His fists were clenched – he was no longer ready to run, but ready to fight for 7 and the two small boys.

"_Nothing. They're fine. It's alright; I'm not going to hurt you_." The voice said gently. 9 could picture a calming hand held out to him. The voice sounded vaguely familiar…but who did it belong to? It was reassuring, and calming, not too deep, but older than his own. 9's eyes widened and he froze as he listened to the echo of the voice. It was a voice he had been wishing to hear for three months…hoping, pleading…

"5?" He whispered, looking over his shoulder, his breaths becoming shallow and frightened. 9 was no longer tensed, but it seemed like all of his insides had melted into useless liquid metal. In the swirling mass, in the darkness of the misty realm, a sudden bright green light suddenly stood out unmistakably against the dark colors – one 9 had failed to see in his desperation and fright for his missing friends.

The wisp of smoke took a shape and rotated slowly. It turned into a small male ragdoll, sporting a single eye, two buttons on his chest, and a number hovering from his back. He touched down to the indistinct land beneath him with an unrealistic grace. It was so very odd to see 5 move with such elegance. He normally was so clumsy and inept (a characteristic 9 shared with him). He walked slowly to 9. The other male ragdoll almost collapsed from alarm and shock at seeing him, someone he was sure he'd never see again…

"5?" He whispered again. He almost took a step away, but something powerful held him there, rooting him to the very spot where he stood on trembling knees, his eyes wide.

"_Yeah. It's me. I'm here._" The spirit replied, giving a small, gentle smile. Only, it wasn't verbal, but it was his thoughts that 9 heard. As an experiment, 9 thought back, "_Where am I? Where are 7, and the twins?_"

"_They're fine, they're back home. You're in the World Between, 9._" 5 answered, drifting downwards, sitting on his knees. 9 followed him, unable to stand any longer. The shock overwhelmed him as his eyes searched 5's pale green face. He looked at every single facial feature that had been etched into the soul from when 5 was still alive. He looked exactly the same. He looked exactly like the man 9 had missed so much. The chill of the world was sending odd, unpleasant sensations through his body, and it made him shiver.

"_The World Between?_ _Where is that?_" He asked when he found his voice once more (or, rather, his thoughts).

"_It's where we are._" 5 answered solemnly, looking up to the sky above them. 9 followed his gaze. He gave a small gasp, giving another shudder. Though, he was unsure why they frightened him. He shouldn't have been – he knew them. He had known them for the very first days of his life.

Hovering above him and 5 were four wisps of green smoke. They didn't have very distinctive shapes, and were unclear. However, 9 could tell them apart, each face, each stitchpunk running through his mind: 1 was thin, with the gaunt face; 8, of course was the largest; 2 was rather hunched over, and he was the smallest; and 6 had wild, crazy hair, along with two mismatched eyes. He wanted to cry out to them, to embrace them all and tell them he was sorry, but something held him back in doing so. Instead, he tore his gaze away from them.

"_Why am I here?_" 9 thought, looking back at 5 and blinking in confusion. 5 actually smiled, his face becoming much softer. At this smile, 9 felt more comfortable, but only just. He missed that smile. He missed 5.

"_Well, you asked me to answer you, didn't you?_" He said softly, still smiling widely. 9 blinked, realizing that, back on Earth, he had asked towards the sky for 5 to answer him. Had 5 really heard him? Had they all heard what he had said over these past months when he would lie and talk to the sky, attempting to get an answer that he was never sure to come to him? 5 turned somber again, blinking and looking down for a moment before continuing. 9 felt anxious again as he bent down slightly and looked into 5's face.

"_9, we need your help. All of us._" 5 said, looking back up to 9, waving a hand to the spirits around them. They didn't move, but they seemed to hover closer, their voices either lost or distant.

"_M-me?_" 9 stammered, growing more anxious each slow second he was there. Time seemed like an unreal thought here. Was he even _really_ here? Would he ever return to 7 and the twins? Or…or was this a dream? All these questions soared around in his head, unable to be answered. He attempted to push them away so he could concentrate on what 5 was saying.

"_Yes. You see…were not really free. We're sort of trapped._" 5 said, looking sadly down once more. At first, 9 couldn't compel his mind to register this statement. He stared fearfully at a somber 5 for a moment before he managed to talk (think?) once more.

"_Trapped? How?_" 9 said, suddenly apprehensive. He now felt rather uncomfortable with the four other silent spirits hovering above him, watching him…listening…

"_Well...we haven't been able to move on, to where we're supposed to be, in the Land Beyond._" 5 said, looking distressed for an unexplained reason. His lower lip quivered and he wrung his green hands together.

"_Why? Why haven't you been able to move on?_" 9 asked softly, raising his eyebrows in surprise and yet more worry. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"_Well...we're still needed on Earth_." 5 said. 9 shook his head, wondering vaguely if his hearing sensors were in need of repair, or if his mind was going on him.

"_N-no. We're fine. I-I'm trying to get us to a new home. I-I don't want you to…just go, move on. Be at peace. Please._" 9 pleaded. He believed that 5 was trapped because of 9's want for his best friend, his need for the guidance he had asked for. 5 put a reassuring, transparent hand on his shoulder. 9's heart, wherever it was, swelled with pain at this touch. It reminded him of what seemed like so long ago.

"_It's not you, 9. You saved us, and released us, but… but our mission isn't finished. There are still things we need to do. W-We've been trapped because we haven't been able to go back._" He said soothingly to the younger stitchpunk, but looking down quite miserably.

"_G-go back? Come back to life?_" 9 asked, feeling weak. Come back…_come back_...only these words he thought of. _Come back_…

"_Yes. And now that you're finally here, there may be a way for us to come back._" 5 said, gently taking 9's hands in his. They felt like ice, and an unpleasant sensation slipped up 9's arm. However, he didn't withdraw away from 5. Instead, he looked intently at him, trying to steady his trembling breaths.

"_How?_" 9 asked, slightly leaning towards 5.

"_The talisman._" 5 said, looking pointedly at 9's zipper. 9 removed his hands from 5's. He hesitantly clutched his zipper and pulled down. Reaching inside of his own body, 9 brought out the talisman, an object he had been carrying inside himself ever since he had released the souls. 9 looked up at 5 once more. Strangely, the talisman hummed mechanically, as if sensed where it was.

"_The talisman wasn't designed for one thing, 9. It took the souls from the Scientist. It gave us our souls, and then took them, and then released us_." 5 explained, putting his hands on the talisman as 9 held it out to him.

"_It could pull us back from the World Between. Into our bodies. We'd come back home._" He said, taking one of 9's fingers and guiding it across the talisman, to each symbol key. 9 watched intently, etching the sequence into his mind.

"_This sequence will summon us back to our bodies._" 5 said, letting 9's hand go. 9 gazed at him, so many questions filling his mind.

"_How do you know?_"

"_Months ago…I'm not even sure how long ago it was…someone came to us in this world. He told us why we were trapped, and why we couldn't move on. He showed me the sequence, and told me that you needed to come and help us get home because…because if you didn't, then we would be trapped forever_…" 5 said softly. 9 looked down at the talisman, his brow furrowed. He thought deeply at this. So much could go wrong, so much could happen. He could type in the sequence wrong, he couldn't find or heal their bodies…so much joy could take away the horrible grief…this could just be a dream…

"_I-Is this real? Are you really trapped?_" 9 asked, looking up at 5 once more. If he brought back beings that were already at peace, then they would be despondent. They weren't meant to come back to Earth. Then again, he'd have his best friend back, and the guilt would lift…

This could be a dream. He could be dreaming that he could have 5 back. His mind could be twisting it to please his already broken heart.

"_Yes. This is real. Please listen…please help us…_" 5's voice began to fade, slowly as he stared into 9's eyes, looking like he was to cry at any given moment. Then many different voices reached 9, voices he easily recognized…voices he missed exceedingly…soft, grizzled, light, deep….

"_Please help us…_"

"…_Bring us back_…"

"…_want to go home_…"

"_Not free…_"

"…_home_…"

5 closed his eye. 9 peered at his friend. His anxiety increased tenfold as he looked upon 5's despondent face. Something was wrong.

"_5_?" He asked softly. The spirit looked up at him.

"_You have to go back_." He said quietly. He stood up, closed his eye and bowed his head. 5 turned his back on a stunned and dumbstruck 9 without a goodbye.

"No! NO! 5, wait, wait! Don't go yet, please!" 9 pleaded, verbally this time. He thrust the talisman back into his chest, zipped himself up and ran after 5. He had already taken flight, and seemed not to hear 9. 5 and the four others, had turned back into five wisps of smoke and were gliding off into the distance, their lights growing smaller and smaller by the seconds 9 tried to chase after them.

However, there was something suddenly pulling on him. It was as if someone had seized his shoulders and was pulling him down into the ground with an exceeding force. Weak with fright and distress, 9 succumbed to the pull, his hand still extended to the wisps that were now gone. The blue-grey swirling world disappeared quickly, and 9 knew he was now falling as the ground beneath him was suddenly gone. He was flying, falling through mid-air, through nothingness. His chest constricted so tightly, he couldn't gather enough air to scream. He closed his eyes, waiting for the jarring impact on a surface below…

"Ah!" He gasped as reality crashed upon him. He bolted upright, his breathing rapid and shallow and his entire body vibrating. He blinked, staring at the ground for a moment as he tried to gather his bearings. Then, he sighed, breathing the crisp, cool night air in deeply. He finally saw that he was back in the world he was born into. Instead of the cold, unpleasant sensation he had been feeling, his left side felt extremely warm in the coolness of the night. He slumped back down to lay on his back.

It was so _real_. The dream was so real. He lay there, staring up to the inky sky above him, the blue-white light of the moon reflecting off the glass coverings of his optics. He quickly checked to see if 7 and the twins were still asleep, and was relieved to see that they were, and that he hadn't woken them again. All three were breathing soundly, their bodies relaxed, eyes closed, and their dreams untroubled. 7 shifted beside him in her sleep, curling further into his side, and he gratefully welcomed her warmth. IT tethered him back down to Earth.

9 lay, thinking hard about it all. It was just too real. Upon this matter, he could not question his sanity. The dream had been too extensive, too genuine to be considered one of his normal dreams or nightmares. He realized they had to have taken his essence, his mind – not his soul – to the World Between to speak to him while he was still asleep. And they were trapped. They weren't free, as he had thought they were…

9 thought about 5. He could come back. He had spent so little time with him, although in the course of about ten minutes, they had become inseparable. And then, 5 was ripped away from him in a single second. He remembered standing there, staring at his inert, lifeless body, a thin line of smoke rising from it. He was paralyzed with shock and grief – that was his best friend, and he had just watched him die. He was painfully reminded that 5 died because of him, because of his mistake. They had all died.

It was all his fault.

9 sighed, folding his hands over his chest, hoping for sleep to find him again. He wanted to somehow believe he wasn't there so he wouldn't be troubled about them any longer. However, he found that he couldn't stop thinking about the sequence of symbols the spirit of 5 had shown him. As he folded his hands together, he found that they were both ice-cold.


	3. Truth Never Seen

**Here is Chapter 3 of Savior! Dun dun dun duuuuun! Thanks so much for your reviews, you guys. I'm so happy to see that this story is still loved, and I shall keep updating! Oh, one final note! If you could take the poll on my profile, that would be awesome. It's very important. Thanks! **

**~Cel**

**Chapter 3: Truth Never Seen**

The sun had barely risen over the rocky horizon when 9 woke from his troubled sleep. He didn't wake the twins or 7 from their own sleep. Instead, he sat quietly, staring at the dull, opaque pink clouds that filled the sky. The sunlight filtered through them pathetically, keeping the world rather dark. The only sounds 9 heard were the soft breathing of his companions and the eerie wind blowing through the city. He sat quietly for around half an hour before 7 woke. She stretched, and sat up slowly. Blinking, she looked over at 9. She was about to greet him, but she stopped herself. She could see right away that there was something wrong, and something was troubling poor 9.

"9? Are you okay?" She asked him softly, peering into his face. Her heart seemed to skip when she saw that his eyes were blank. This was an emptiness, a sadness, that she had seen in his eyes too many times before. However, he had never shown it in front of his friends. He had always kept it to himself.

"M'fine." He murmured, his voice barely audible. He didn't even spare her a glance, keeping his strangely lifeless eyes fixed on the horizon. 7 blinked, furrowing her brow a bit. She then turned away and gave 3 and 4 each a small shake on the shoulder to wake them. They blinked open their eyes, and 3 gave a wide yawn. 9 was entirely silent as they all got up and resumed their trek once more.

The twins didn't play or romp around as they had yesterday. They stayed nervously by 7's side, each giving anxious glances to 9 every so often. They sensed his sadness, and his unusual quietness. His gait was different: he seemed atypically dejected. He didn't smile, and he kept his eyes down to the ground. They were both quite frightened. No matter how sad he became, 9 never showed it in front of 3 and 4. He knew that they worried for him and his feelings, and he didn't like the frighten them. This was rather strange.

The silence was bearing down upon them intensely. 9 didn't speak at all, and 7 was quickly becoming nervous.

"9, what is the matter?" She finally asked him. Unable to take it any longer, she stopped the small group. The twins both snapped up to look at him, eyes wide and worried. They were quite anxious to find out what was troubling their leader and big brother. 9 looked up at 7 at last, debating on whether or not he should tell her what he had found out. He knew a thing like what had happened to him was not something that occurred to everyone. It had been quite bizarre. 7 would never believe him.

"I…it's hard to explain." He said, rubbing his left shoulder uncertainly, looking away again. 7 blinked, her brows knitting together. 9 was acting strange…very strange. He usually never kept things from her.

"I'm sure we can keep up." 7 replied, a small bit of disdain in her voice. 9 faced them, and sighed. This was something he had to decide on now.

"Last night, something happened to me…and I left my body, I guess. I…I was taken somewhere. I saw 5 and the others. He…he told me that they were trapped in a placed called the World Between. They can't move on. He told me that…told me that if I follow this sequence…" he pulled down his zipper and reached inside of his chest. He pulled the talisman from inside of him and placed a finger on the symbols as 5 had done the night before. "…They will be brought back to life. I-I think…we need to find them. We need to find their bodies, and bring them back." He finished softly. 9 watched nervously for a reaction from 7. Her brows pulled together even more, deepening the crease in her forehead. There was an uneasy moment of silence before 7 spoke.

"9, it was just a dream. I know you really miss 5, and all of the others as well, and you want them back. But there's nothing we can do. They're gone. They're free now." She said sympathetically, reaching up and grasping his arm gently. 9 shook his head. He removed his arm from her grasp and put the talisman back inside of his chest, slowly zipping himself up.

"No, 7. It was too…too _real_. I was really there, I had to have been. They're really trapped in the World Between. I have to find them, or else they'll be trapped forever. I can't let that happen. It's my fault they're dead in the first place, and if I just let them stay there when I can do something about it…no. Not again." He said, turning away from her slightly and looking out to the horizon again. 7 scoffed in disbelief and stepped towards him. The twins stood still, wringing their hands nervously.

"9, it will be a waste of time. A _huge_ waste of time. We need to find somewhere to live, and we can't find them when they're gone. It was just a dream." 7 said, brandishing her hand. Her voice became firm as she stepped in front of 9, blocking his path. "It wasn't real."

"7…I have to. When I put the talisman in the socket, and awakened the Machine, I was so stupid and young. I didn't know what I was doing. This time, I know what I _have_ to do. I _have_ to trust my heart. For them." He contradicted her. His heart plummeted. She was taking this the very way he had feared she would. However, he couldn't let that stop him.7's temper began to flare, her fingers curling into fists. She took another step towards him.

"9, _no_. What if you're wrong and nothing happens?" She asked scornfully.

"I-I don't know. But I have to." He repeated, his voice small, looking down at the rocky ground beneath him.

"9, you're being stupid. It would just waste time." Her voice was now near full-force. It was very rare that she got angry at 9, but she was quickly becoming so. He nearly flinched as she called him stupid, but he straightened up to his full height, his own hands clenching into fists.

"_I have to, 7_. I'm not going to let them to just remain trapped, not when there is a small chance I can help them." He said, his own voice becoming more forceful. Very rarely was he at odds with the female stitchpunk, but 9 knew that she was being stubborn. He could not let her deter him. Rising up to his full height, he fixed her with an intense stare. She glowered intensely up at him (9 was reasonably taller than 7).

"You're only doing this because you want them back! You just don't want to feel guilty anymore!" 7 was yelling now, incensed. Her temper was rising swiftly. The twins were cowering away from the two, clutching one another and exchanging apprehensive glances. It was very uncommon for their guardians to fight, but usually the scraps were brief and not this forceful. This frightened them.

"_I AM NOT DOING THIS FOR ME_! I'm doing this because I am _never_ going to hurt them again!" 9 was yelling as well now. The only other time he remembered being this angry with 7 was when she nearly killed 1 after he had revealed he had sent 2 to die, and 9 had to call her off. This time, 9's shout had startled 7 into a shocked, but enraged silence. If he wanted to leave so badly, then _fine_.

No longer yelling, 7 and 9 were having a fierce stare-down, trying to get the other to back down and relent. But it wasn't working with either of them. Both were stubborn to the core. 9 was sticking by his heart, and 7 was sticking by her belief that it was just a dream. 7 finally inhaled sharply and spoke. Her voice was low, but acidic all the same, her fists shaking.

"Fine, leave us. We never wanted you with us, anyway. _You're_ the one who caused them all to die. They're all we've got," she pointed vehemently at the twins, who flinched at their mention, "and I am _not _going to endanger them to follow some pointless recklessness just so you can redeem yourself."

9 then backed off, taking hesitant steps away from her. Each word she spoke thrashed him like a whip of fire. She had just said she never wanted him to join them. She just said he had caused their deaths. Of course it was fact, but she had never brought up this topic because she knew fully well he was sensitive towards this certain subject.

"7…" he said softly, his anger melting away. He lifted a trembling hand and reaching to her.

"Find us when you've finally got it through your thick head that you're being stupid, or don't. I don't care. Go away. _Go_." She said, turning her back on him and walking away. 9 stood there stunned, staring after her. His last friend hated him. She no longer wanted him with them. She didn't care anymore. A deep, dark wave of shock and sadness crashed over him, crushing him painfully. His last friend turned her back on him, wanting nothing more to do with him. And it was his fault.

He looked down at the twins, who looked back up at him, frightened. Their pleas for him not to leave were evident in their eyes. 9 slowly looked back up at 7, hoping that she was looking at him again, hoping that she was going to give him a chance to apologize. She was ignoring him now, her scarred back facing him. She had stopped walking, but was standing stiffly. Her arms crossed as she stood facing the city. She waited for the twins to join her and for 9 to leave. His broken heart fell rapidly, and he bent his head, ashamed and heartbroken. All he wanted to do now was to apologize. But he couldn't. 7 didn't care, and she wanted him to go away. There was nothing he could do.

Turning around, he began to walk away slowly, feeling the sadness rip him from the inside out. He soon broke into a run, taking himself away from the others. 3 and 4 watched him run until his figure got smaller and smaller, finally disappearing into the far-off distance. They reached after him, heartbroken. 4 turned to 3 and beamed to his brother anxiously, his lower lip quivering. 3 looked after 9 miserably, but then shook his hooded head. 4 sighed, and the two decided against following him. With hung heads and dejected hearts, they quickly caught up to 7 as their protector put many miles between them and himself.

9 stopped running around mid-evening. He had only stopped a few times to catch his breath before continuing on. He didn't know where he was heading, or how he was going to get there. He stopped now, out of breath and completely lost. 9 looked around where he was, uncertain and nervous. The grief from 7's words had overwhelmed him, and he had just run away blindly. He hadn't the slightest idea where he was, or how he was going to start his mission. He now regretted the decision to run off, but there was no turning back. He knew what he needed to do, and that knowledge urged him onwards.

This place was extremely unfamiliar, mostly wasteland. Dead pine trees still stood tall, the trunks thick with ash and dead, blackened branches reaching out. The ground itself was nothing but stone and dirt, the gas from the Mech-Walkers of long ago preventing grass and leaves from returning to the formerly-beautiful forest. 9 walked around slowly, uncertain. He looked all around him, trying to find something he recognized. Not watching where he was going, he was suddenly pitched forward with a cry. 9's arms flailed as he tried desperately to regain his balance. He just managed to fall backwards, landing on his rump with a dull thud. Breathing heavily and blinking, 9 struggled to catch his breath. He felt rather miserable. Suddenly, he heard something, a noise he had never heard before. The noise was one of the most beautiful.

There was a large river in front of him in a small ravine that he had almost slipped into. As he looked over the edge of the ravine, he saw that the river was very shallow. The bank sloped down to the grey water below, stones and rocks creating obstacles in the water. The water flowed smoothly and slowly. 9 looked down, curious of the stream, when he spotted something small and limp on the opposite shore below. He stared at it intently, studying this strange object through the dark. It looked extremely familiar – too familiar for comfort. He needed to know what this thing was. It was too dark to see exactly what the object was. 9 slowly inched his way over the edge of the ravine, and slid down the dirt of the bank. Coming to a stop before the river, he studied the water. There was no path to use to get across, so he hesitantly put a foot into the water. It was deep enough to come up to his hips, but it didn't hurt, or corrupt his inner workings. However, it was freezing.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly slid into the water, giving a shudder at how cold it was. Gathering himself, he waded across the stream slowly. 9 found himself wishing for his light staff so he could see better in the darkness of the small ravine. The coldness of the water was creeping up inside of him, causing his breaths to come out in misty puffs. He desperately wanted some hope, some hope that he was going to succeed in this task, and that 7 was going to forgive him once he returned. The water flowed around his body as he waded across, glowing grey lines dancing upon his fabric skin. He finally was on the opposite bank, water sliding off his burlap hips and legs. He peered through the darkness of the quickly falling night at the object. It looked ragged and old, and he considered turning away. Well, this was a stupid, futile venture. 9 was about to turn away and try to make it out of the ravine when something caught his eye. It was a small glint of light, and 9 took a step forward to the object. As he neared it, he finally realized exactly what it was. He gave a small gasp as his heart jolted painfully.

It was 2's body, washed up on shore. The one-pound coin was still on his eyes, his arms still crossed over his chest as he once was, long ago. His body had been virtually undisturbed. He lay just as 9 and the others had sent him to rest those many months ago.

9 closed his eyes in grief, bending his head. He reached up with a hand and touched the side of his abdomen, the place where the talisman rested inside of him. He opened his eyes again, staring at the body. He needed to listen to his heart. This wasn't going to happen again. Never again.

Walking forward, he bent next to the delicate body of the elder. Before he proceeded, he removed the coin from 2's eyes gently. As he looked into the peaceful face of his very first friend, 9 reached forward. He rested his hand on 2's icy cold cheek, rubbing his thumb over the worn and rough burlap. 9 closed his eyes and sighed. So this is where it all started – with the stitchpunk that had been killed first, the man who had gave him his voice, and saved his life twice, the stitchpunk that had been his very first friend. 9 opened his eyes and began to work the Seamstress's bindings from 2, and knew this was the beginning of his mission.


	4. Return To The Dead Battlefield

**Here is Chapter 4! I want to thank each and every one of you for your kind reviews! They really mean a bunch to me. Well, not much to say, just keep on reading and reviewing! **

**~Cel**

**Chapter 4: Return To The Dead Battlefield**

9 had scouted around the unfamiliar area for nearly twelve hours before he found a safe place where he could keep 2's fragile body protected from the harsh elements. It was a simple countryside house with buckling wood and a nearly-collapsed roof. However, it would do as a shelter for 9 and a safe place where he could keep his friends until their return. Once he had 2 safe, kept away from the outside world, 9 ran out into the wastelands to find the others. He didn't rest at all. The mission at hand was far too important now. 9 knew that all of his stupid mistakes had boiled down to this task he had been given.

9 began to head back where he had come – to the city. He walked for miles one day, not stopping once. He used landmarks that were familiar to him to lead him back into the city, to the place he knew where he needed to start. Retracing his steps, he was brought to the shell of what used to be a large building. However, most of it was burned away. It lay in the midst of an oil field, and the droning of the still-working oil pumps gave him the reassurance of familiarity.

9 ventured about, looking inside the shell of the ash-covered rubble. He looked around as he carefully stepped through the wreckage. Upon getting a closer look, 9 instantly recognized this building as the destroyed factory the Fabrication Machine had once resided in. It had been connected to the factory and they tried to kill it. It had somehow survived the fire and detonation and then came after them. He couldn't bear to think about what had happened afterwards. 9's heart fell and he felt very uncomfortable being in this place, but he knew he must continue.

9 knew that somewhere, hidden in this rubble, was 8, the guardian who he was too late to save. He looked all around, trying not to think of what had happened in this factory. All of those events played in his mind like a video 4 was showing to him. He remembered watching 7 being handed off to the Machine…running down a tunnel for his life as an army of Spider Beasts scuttled after him and 7…he inserted the talisman into the Fabrication Machine, awakening it…

9 pushed these recollections back as far as he could in his mind. He tried his paramount best to focus on the mission he was currently on and not think about the terrible past. He had to focus on the present now and what he had to do. Crawling slowly through the rubble, carefully so it wouldn't cave in on him, 9 looked all around for 8's body. As he searched, the young ragdoll began to become discouraged and frightened. What if 8's body didn't survive the massive explosion and later collapse of the factory? What if he had disintegrated into mere ash, never to return back to Earth…?

Then, much to his relief, 9 came across 8. He was lying limply underneath a slab of rock. Because he was concealed away, his body had miraculously survived the enormous blast. A piece of the ceiling or wall must have collapsed on top of him. His left arm, however, was slightly singed, but 9 had once watched 5 heal 7. He could do the same to 8.

Panting, he heaved 8's enormous body out of the wreckage. 8 was huge and heavy, but 9 was strong. He crawled back out of the rubble, dragging 8 with him. Finally, they were on level ground. 9 set 8 down with a huff, already worn out from merely dragging him out of the debris. He couldn't possibly drag 8 all the way to the old house. Looking around him, trying to figure out some sort of plan, 9 suddenly spotted a thin piece of rope lying around a splintered piece of wood. Getting to his feet, 9 walked over to the plank and seized the rope. He took it back to 8, where he left it as he walked back to the rubble. He grabbed a curved sheet of metal and took it back to where he had left the rope. Using a sharp rock, 9 cut two small holes in the corners of the sheet. He tied a strong knot in each hole with the rope. After doing this, 9 heaved 8's body into his arms and then gently set him onto the metal sheet. Taking the rope and slinging it over his shoulder, 9 proceeded to drag 8 home. He carefully maneuvered the rubble until he and 8 were nearly out of the remains of the factory.

Suddenly, 9 spotted an oddly familiar bar of metal sticking out of the debris nearby. 9 blinked and tilted his head curiously. He set 8 down and ran over to the bar, reaching down and removing the metal debris off of the bar – it was the remains of his light staff. He blinked in slight surprise. The only thing missing from it was the light bulb. There were glass shards sticking threateningly out from the base. The holder was intact, a bit bent on one side. 9 looked around the area where he kneeled. Reaching beside him, 9 picked up the battery, fallen out of the holder when the gears that killed the Seamstress shredded the bulb and it had fallen out. He unzipped his chest and deposited the battery inside of himself, taking the staff with him. He returned to 8, and slung the rope over his shoulders.

The old house appeared as if the human who once owned it had hastily moved to escape the war and left most of his or her possessions behind. There were old and tattered books. Dusty and broken furniture dotted nearly every corner. Rugs that were once soft covered some of the warped floorboards. The house was very large and vast, and 9 felt very alone and very small. Left to himself and his thoughts, he couldn't help but think of deadly green lights, glowing red eyes, and of course, the only family he had left…and the words that she had last said to him. 9 laid 8 to rest next to 2 and then turned, immediately going to continue his search. For a moment, he scoured around the house, trying to find some sort of sack or something he could carry around with him as he ventured out into the wastelands. He discovered a flat board with four wooden wheels attached. It appeared to be a toy car that used to belong to a child. Smiling slightly, 9 was inspired by his memory of 2's roller skate cart he had used in the Emptiness. Using the rope from the metal sheet, 9 made himself a little cart.

As he set out once more, walking through the house, the rope slung over his shoulder, he vaguely looked up to one of the other desks. On it was a dormant lamp, bent over the desk and covered in rust and ash. Inside the shade of the cone lamp, there lay a grime-covered, very small light bulb. Before ascending the drawers, 9 picked out the splintered pieces of glass from the previous light bulb.

Once done, 9 scrambled up the drawers and unscrewed the light bulb from the lamp, just as he had once watched 5 do. He had a sudden vision of 5, when they had made the light staff together before venturing into the factory to save 2. Bending his head, he took a deep breath to try and steady himself. He dropped the battery into the holder, then fitted the bulb in the socket. It almost immediately lit up, and 9 gave a faint smile, which disappeared almost as fast as it had appeared on his face.

"_2 would be impressed_…"

"_We'll find him_…"

He shook his head, trying to push this memory to the back of his mind along with all the others and wrapped his fist around the staff. Raising his head with the most determination he could muster, he began to venture out into the wastelands once more…

9 blinked as he looked upon the dead Fabrication Machine, lying desolately and lifelessly in the dust. He could only stare at it, the feelings within him waging a war even he couldn't explain. This monster before him had caused him and his friends so much pain and it had torn his coven apart. 9 walked slowly around it, images and memories flashing through his mind. He remembered standing his ground as the force of the talisman's power nearly knocked him backwards. He remembered trying to run away, out from underneath the toppling Machine, and failing to do so. He remembered the sudden blackness overcoming him…and waking up to see her beautiful face…

He closed his eyes. Thinking of 7 was too painful. 9 understood that she was angry with him. He wanted to lead them on some other trek when the twins were already exhausted. She was the twins' big sister, there was no question about that. It meant that she protected them, no matter what, or who, got in her way.

However, the words she had spoken had ripped his heart to shreds and each time he thought of them, it hurt. She was his closest friend, but at this moment in time, he didn't know if he was ever going to see her again. Opening his eyes, he approached the dead Machine slowly, thinking of how this soulless murderer had taken so many of his friends away from him. Even in death, the horrific monster still looked deadly and foreboding. 9 squeezed himself underneath its frame, looking all over for the one who had aborted his sacrifice, giving his own life instead: 1.

9 walked around underneath the hollow frame between its sections and lifted a large gear. He paused only for a second to glance at a single cable lying on the ground, fallen from the towering Machine above. He remembered 7 smiling widely at him in relief as he regained his consciousness…and how she had embraced him tightly. He shook his head in irritation at himself.

"No." He told himself softly. 9 couldn't think about 7 right now. There were more important matters to deal with. He threw the gear to the side of him, wincing as his weak shoulder gave a small shot of dull pain. 9 immediately clutched it, sighing sadly. Ignoring the dull throbbing in the ball of his shoulder, he looked sadly at 1's crumpled figure, lying on the ground before him. He walked to 1 and kneeled beside him, turning him gently to lie on his back. 1 stared up at him lifelessly, broken. His eyes were wide and blank, his mouth agape.

9 picked up his limp left arm as he looked over the dead elder and examined his crippled hand. He winced, knowing that he would have to somehow heal his hand. Looking around him, he found a thin piece of metal fallen from the Fabrication Machine's body. It seemed crude, but it would have to do. He placed it on his cart and carefully picked up the crumpled old man, cradling him in his arms. 9 looked down at the man who had hated him with sadness, wondering how 1 would react when he was brought back to his body. He then turned, and began the trek back, giving the dead Fabrication Machine one final glance…

9 soon lost track of time as the days passed, blurring together as he went to nearly every place he had been in his short life. He retrieved his coven's once-belongings: 1's staff, cape and crown (he managed to find an entrance to the floor of the burned-down cathedral), 8's weapons, 5's utility bag, and, with a pang of regret and shame, 7's skullmet, her spear and her shield. As he looked down at the shield he held tightly in his hands, 9 made himself a promise to return to them soon. He wouldn't leave them behind…if he could ever find them again…

9 didn't have a very relevant reason for collecting their old possessions. The weapons would no longer be needed – they were going to live in a safe and quiet world. However, 9 felt as if he needed a respite from looking upon the dead stitchpunks day after day. Also, he wanted their new life to be like before – like nothing bad had ever happened…like 9 had never come to the coven and awakened the Machine. Collecting these things helped him to reassure himself that everything was going to be okay. 9 was determined to make everything right once more, like they had never died and he hadn't interfered with them. He even scoured the lands around him for an entire day before he found a silver candle holder. Very diligently, he constructed a new top hat for 2. Although it was not complex or skillfully made (as 2 himself would have made it), it would do for him when he woke.

9 was walking out in the vast Emptiness in the dead of night. Every star in the sky was completely hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds. Wind blew desolately through the silent city. 9 was travelling through the barren outskirts of the city, where nothing existed but vast, dry fields of rock and dirt. He looked around, trying to spot familiar landmarks through the darkness of the night. Suddenly, he came upon an old record player lying against some splintering wooden boards. Spiked wire fences surrounded it, and tall radio towers made shadowed silhouettes against the sky. 9 could only stare at the record player, however. He walked up to it very slowly, his heart thudding against his chest.

Lifting a hand, he ran his fingers across the crank, slowly trailing them along the side. This created large indents in the dust that covered the entire record player, giving a hint to its long-time dormancy. 9 stared at it for a moment, remembering very clearly what had happened beside this record player. His hands curling into fists, 9 bent forward and rested his forehead against the side of the record player for a moment. He felt the sadness coming over him. 9 had avoided this particular spot because he knew how much pain this would cause him. He took a deep breath in order to compose himself, then looked up to the dry oil barrens in front of him…

5's body was lying, limp and lifeless, in the dirt before him. His head was turned away from 9, his figure sprawled out on the ground. 9 sighed softly and walked towards 5 slowly. As he approached his friend's body, he knelt beside him. Reaching forward with a shaking hand, 9 took 5's cold shoulder, turning him to face him. 9 forced himself not to recoil when he saw 5's destroyed eye patch and the hole where his other eye had once been. 9 sank to his knees, feeling the pain overwhelming him. It was nearly too much.

Seeing his best friend, lying lifelessly in the dirt and knowing that he did this to him…it hurt him terribly. Bending down, 9 gently slid his arms underneath 5. He wrapped his arms around the Healer's cold form and brought him into his lap, rocking him gently. 9 couldn't hold the soft, strangled sob within him as he dropped his forehead to touch his best friend's.

"I miss you, 5." He whispered softly, closing his eyes. 9 sighed heavily, hugging 5 close. A war of emotions clashed within him. Looking up to the sky, wondering if 5 had heard him from the World Between, 9 saw something sparkling in-between the clouds. It was a little lost star, twinkling brightly against the dark backdrop of the night sky. The star watched over the lonely world, keeping a constant, silent vigil. 9 had watched this very same star every night since the Machine had been killed. Most often, 7 had been by his side, and in that moment, he wondered if she was looking at the same star…and missing him just as he missed her.

7 was kneeling next to the twins and covering the deeply asleep stitchpunks with a soft, ragged cloth while a small wind whistled past them. She felt so alone, even with her two small brothers. In this moment of silence, she found herself feeling very alone. 7 looked up to the sky, and to the same, dull-looking star. 7 deeply regretted hurting 9, the memory of the heartbreaking expression on his face persistently pestering her. She caught herself remembering when she almost lost him, when he was nearly crushed to death by the Machine. In those agony-filled seconds when she held him to her, believing that he was dead…those moments were probably the worst of her life.

Especially then, she felt alone. So alone. She sighed and bent her head, missing her friend dearly. She wished she had ignored her pride and ran after him, like she had wanted to after he left. So many questions floated around in her mind…where was he now? Was he alright, or hurt? Would she ever see him again? Was he right, were the dead stitckpunk's souls trapped?

Looking up again, she remembered the last time she had said he was wrong, when he wasn't. It had saved their friend's souls and killed the Fabrication Machine.

"_They're free now_," she had said. He wasn't wrong. _She _was. Furrowing her brow, she made up her mind as she stared into the darkness.

No matter the costs, she was going to find him.

The next day, 9 stood looking down into the mist of a dangerously deep ravine. The remains of a splintered wooden and metal bridge were strewn all around him, and he remembered all too well this is where the visionary he once knew lost his life. 6.

He tied a rope he had found in his travels tightly around one of the broken beams sticking out of the rocky ground without hesitation. 9 tied the other end around his waist, and clutched it tightly with his hands. Taking a deep breath of the early morning air, he began the slow, but sure, descent into the deep ravine.

The weak sunlight soon disappeared as he entered the bank of forever mists that hovered over the ravine. It was becoming hard to see as the darkness seemed to swallow him – therefore he kept close to the wall, his movements becoming slow and careful. After a tedious moment, he was out of the mist bank, and although it was a dark grey, he could see what lay at the bottom of the ravine. There were many stones, and a wide, yet shallow river. 9 had never felt so small than he did in those moments. The ravine was very large, and it had taken over forty-five minutes for the small ragdoll to reach the bottom. But he had much patience and he was safe.

9 also felt extremely alone. He felt as if he was the last being on Earth, with no one to talk to, no one to laugh with, no hand to hold reassuringly. He wanted the twins. He wanted 7. He wanted to go back to them. However, he knew he couldn't abandon the mission now. 9 continued to walk himself down the vertical cliff face until his feet finally touched the bottom. He untied his waist and looked around.

It was very dark. Mists covered area around him and he couldn't see the other wall, but he could just make out the other bank of the river. The ground below was moist dirt. There were no plants, for the mists that created thick clouds high above his head obscured the sun, preventing any life from reaching this area. If front of him was the river. Stones created a path across it, so 9 wouldn't have to get wet again. Looking around, he spotted a black-and-white banded body, broken and lying in a small groove of rocks, the water calmly splashing along his delicate, nib fingers on the other bank. 9 crossed the river and went to the crumpled figure of 6.

He was virtually unbroken, but his shoulder seemed dislocated and possibly broken. a small tear ripping through his striped skin. Sighing, 9 picked 6's limp, lifeless body up carefully from the rocks, seeing that even in death, he looked peaceful as he once did in his spirit form. 9 grasped the rope tightly, and began to ascend to the world above. Even more slowly than the descent, as not to further damage 6, 9 climbed. It took another half an hour until he managed to walk out of the mists, blinking as the grey sunlight suddenly blinded him. He was nearly there, to the top, and was unsure of how much time had passed. He was nearly there…a few more minutes and footsteps should do it…

There was suddenly a slight fracturing noise from above, and his head snapped up. Where the rope was slung over the rock, it was beginning to fray, each fiber straining against his weight and the razor cliff. Gasping, 9 tried to climb up faster, trying to get to the top without dropping 6. He tried to squeeze in a five minute climb to mere seconds. The rope had been holding his weight as he had climbed up the face for an hour and a half. It must have finally given way.

9's efforts were futile as the last strand within the rope snapped and with a cry of fright, he and 6 fell back down into the darkness. His chest constricted as the wind slapped him unmercifully. His head was filled with the whistling…there was another shout…a familiar voice…he was already dead…

A cry slipped out of him as his shoulder collided with the face of the ravine. Quickly reaching out with his free hand, his mind whirling, he caught 6's wrist. 9 brought him up to his side, holding him closely before he lost him once more. Struggling to retain his bearings and fight the darkness that threatened to take away his consciousness, he found that he was still grasping the rope tied around his waist, his body swinging precariously over the darkness of the chasm. Looking up, he saw a familiar face staring down at him in fright, hands clutching the end of the snapped rope.

"7!" 9 cried in relief. 7 smiled a bit, and 9 returned it gratefully. Although unsure if she was still unforgiving of him or not, 9 was nevertheless extremely relived to see her and the loneliness vanished in a flash. 7 tightened her grip on the rope, heaved, and then with the twins' help, the three were able to get 9 up onto solid ground. He lifted 6 to the twins, who took him in their arms gently while 7 assisted 9 getting back onto the rocky ground, grasping his shoulders and pulling him up. Now on solid ground, he sat on his knees, panting heavily, chest heaving. He then sighed, managing to catch his breath and looked up at 7, who was staring at him anxiously, sitting on her knees beside him.

"I'm sorry for what I said…"

"I shouldn't have left…"

"You were right, I should've listened…"

"You were right, I was stupid…"

Both the male and female ragdoll tried to apologize to one another at the same time. They blinked, realizing their mistake. 7 gave a small cough while 9 rubbed his left arm shyly, sitting upright now.

"You can go first." 7 said quietly, her expression unreadable. 9 bit his lower lip and sighed sadly.

"I'm so sorry I left you three. I just didn't want to cause them anymore harm. I…I shouldn't have gone. I didn't know what the right thing was to do." 9 apologized, bending his head, where his chin was nearly touching his chest. 7 looked up and scooted closer to him, putting a reassuring hand on his back.

"I know what I said hurt you…I really didn't mean it. We need you, then and now. All three of us. I'm so sorry." 7 said, looking up at him as he raised his head. They gazed at one another, eyes meeting for a breadth of a second before 7 reached forward, her arms raised, going to hug the male in an embrace and 9 copied her. It was a moment before they both gave small, false coughs and withdrew from one another. 7 gave him a pat on his shoulder, saying, "Well, welcome back, I guess."

"Come on, I've got shelter for us. I…I got them." He said, taking 7's elbow and helping her to stand, the twins following them. Their eyes flickered from the savior's to the warrior's faces, wondering if they were still unforgiving of each other and if they were going to fight again.

"All of them?" 7 breathed in astonishment, and he nodded once solemnly. She blinked once in surprise as he bent down before the twins and scooped 6 into his arms, cradling the dead artist to his chest. And so, he led the three others to the shelter, leaving the forever mists behind them.


	5. Tears Within The Heart

**Hey, guys, happy summer! It's been great over here in the 'States. However, we still have snow over our good 'ole Rockies! Anyway, enough small talk. I'm sorry for the wait, guys. I had ACTs, two AP finals/tests, and Girl Scout things I needed to attend. I will be updating regularly now as I edit each chapter. Keep reviewing and reading! thanks, everyone! **

**P.S. Three more chapters to go on Memories Kept Alive! Oh, and Eternal will be updated - and finished! - next week probably. The chapter file on my thumb drive decided to corrupt itself so it wouldn't upload X(**

**~Cel**

**Chapter 5: Tears Within The Heart**

That night, the twins were out in the remains of what used to be a drawing room. They were cataloguing the interesting objects that littered the floor. 9 and 7 were in the safe room on the second floor, where the dead stitchpunks lay. The two young ragdolls were walking into the room together, silent. 9 kneeled down and he gently laid 6 on a slab of concrete on his back. He was laid next to 5's broken body. 9 straightened his key and crossed his hands over his chest, making it look like he was only peacefully sleeping. 9 sadly blinked and sighed while 7 stooped beside him.

They remained silent, bent down beside the two slabs of concrete and mourning the losses of the ones they had known all their lives. 9 reached over and lightly touched 5's shoulder, his fingers shaking slightly. It was cold, the cold of death, a horrible chill creeping all the way through his body.

7 reached up and placed a hand on 9's shoulder, squeezing gently. He didn't pull away from her, and she took that as a good sign.

"I-I didn't mean the things I said to you. I know they hurt you, and I'm really sorry. And…I missed you. I felt really alone without you." 7 said softly, trying to somehow make him feel better. He turned to look at her, but then sighed and bowed his head.

"You wouldn't feel alone if I hadn't caused them," he jerked his chin in the direction of the five bodies beside them, "to die."

7 opened her mouth to say something else, but he stood quickly and quietly and her hand dropped from his shoulder.

"I…I need to be alone for awhile." This was all 9 said before he turned his back to her and walked out of the room silently. 7 watched him, all of her feelings mixing together. She looked back at the bodies, and sighed softly.

The sun soon disappeared away behind distant mountains and it was shortly replaced with the moon. Its bright, blue-white light illuminated 9's body as he sat upon the roof. He was sitting with his knees brought to his chest, resting his chin on his forearms, gazing at the stars quietly.

This wasn't fair. All of the pain he felt coursing through him came in surges, each stronger than the last. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to 7 or the twins. It was his fault that they had died, that their souls had been taken. He had been so stupid, inserting the talisman with a foolish instinct that it, perhaps, could do something good, something that would help the stitchpunks. It was unbearable and he could hardly stand it – the hollow inside of him, where the others used to reside, even 1 and 8.

Where 5 used to be.

Alone with nothing but this dark, empty spot in his heart for company, he knew that he mustn't waver in his mission. He was to protect 7 and the twins – right now, he couldn't show his loneliness. It wasn't that he didn't like 7 and the twins and loved their company – all he wanted was to have his friends back. He wished he had never made that mistake. If he didn't, if he had been smart and just put the talisman down, then maybe 5 would be sitting beside him this moment. Perhaps the two boys would be laughing together, having a nice conversation as they observed the night sky through contented eyes. But 9 knew he probably would never have that. He could never experience the feeling of having his best friend beside him. 7 was also his best friend, but she was also very different than 5. Her temper could flare up in an instant, especially if she was stressed. With 5, he was a much more meek and docile spirit. 9 couldn't fathom how much he missed him.

"9?" A soft, feminine voice jolted 9 out of his gloomy reverie. Looking over his shoulder, he saw 7 climbing up to join him on the rooftop. She walked up and sat beside him.

"Are you okay?" 7 said, pressing the question. Once she would get an answer, she would leave him alone, but it made her uncomfortable to know her friend was so…miserable. Her hands trembled, and she wanted to somehow touch him reassuringly, to tell him it was going to be okay, but she restrained from doing so.

"Well…I…I-I'm…no." 9 replied, fumbling with the words trapped inside of him. How long they had been kept within him, unable to be released.

"No?" 7 repeated. "Is this about…well…" she trailed off, not wanting to say the name of the deceased one-eyed stitchpunk to upset 9 further.

9 didn't answer right away. Afraid that if he spoke, he would let a terrible cry from within him go, so he kept his lips pressed together tightly. He was _not_ going to cry in front of 7…even the thought of doing so was mortifying. He was supposed to be a strong man, not a frightened child. He was _never_ going to cry in front of 7.

"You feel guilty?" 7 said softly. It was a statement, not a question. 9 closed his eyes in determination and desperation. Not going to cry…_not_ going to cry…

_Damn it 9, get a hold of yourself_, he thought fiercely to himself before he replied, "Yes." He was struggling to keep his voice level. Curling his copper fingers into fists, he continued, "It's just going to take me awhile to…to stop thinking about it."

"What are you talking about? We're bringing them back." 7 said, her brows knitting as she tilted her head in inquisitiveness. 9 bit his lower lip. Throughout his travels, as he delved deeper and deeper into them, he began to believe 7's words. It was only a dream and what if the talisman didn't work? What if it remained dormant forever?

"I…I don't know if it was real. I don't know if it will work." He replied. "You were right – it was just a waste of time. But I…I did want them back…I didn't want them to…to just lie forever…" he trailed off. The battle he was fighting to not cry in front of 7 was one he was quickly losing.

"We can try. They won't come back if…if it _was_ just a dream, and they really have moved on." 7 said comfortingly. He didn't look at her, slightly turning away and keeping his eyes fixed on the world around them. 7's brows furrowed again – was he angry with her? Were those insensitive words she had dared to speak to him still bothering him? She put a hand on his weak shoulder, rubbing it a bit. He still didn't look at her, and she felt him try and remove his shoulder.

These gestures frustrated her – all she was trying to do was to be nice! Why was he so standoffish? As she stared at him in confusion, he bit his lip hard. If he ignored her, then maybe she'd go away. He couldn't cry in front of her. Although they had no tears to call their own, 9 had found out that they could still cry. This terrible feeling would overtake him, like his insides were being squeezed to the point of being painful. He would cry into his hands, eyes closed tightly, the mechanical workings of his throat tightening and making it hard to breathe properly – he could only sob. But he had been all alone, on a scouting expedition about six weeks ago. No one had seen him. The only one who knew he had ever cried was himself.

"9...are you angry with me?" 7 asked softly, sadness in her voice. "I understand if you're not ready to forgive me. What I said was pretty unforgivable, but I need you to know that it's not what I really think. I don't think that at all. I am so sorry." She said, and 9 immediately turned around. She couldn't think that. He wouldn't let her. She looked up at him as he turned to face her.

"It's okay. I'm not angry at all. I forgave you a while ago. I know I was putting a lot on you. I shouldn't have…I should've just stayed…" He trailed off, looking down at his hands. His throat tightened, and he blinked. What if they didn't come back? What if all this was for nothing?

"9," 7 said softly. "Something is wrong. I can tell." She tried to look into his face, but he buried his optics in his hands, unable to look at 7.

"I'm so sorry. I-I took them all away from y-you, and 3 a-and 4. It's a-all my fault. If anybody deserves to leave…it's me. I feel like…like _I'm_ the murderer." He whispered, his voice beginning to crack.

7 blinked, took his shoulders, and turned him to face her, her fingers tight, his hands sliding off of his eyes.

"You've done so much for us, 9. I will always forgive you, no matter what." She said fiercely, her eyes fixed on his. "Yeah, they were taken away from me and the twins, but _you _lost them, too. Don't you dare think you're a murderer. Don't you _dare _think I won't forgive you." Her eyes were like fire, burning into his and seeing into his soul. The battle he was intensely fighting was lost, and he closed his eyes tightly. He turned his head away, trying to keep the noise of his sobs low. Humiliation was overshadowed by pain, and he allowed it all to spill from his heart. 7 blinked, staring at him in disbelief. The strong young man…he was crying…

7 didn't think of her next action. All she knew was that 9 was crying, and he needed her comfort. She reached forward, and wrapped her arms around her greatest friend's shoulders in a tight embrace. He lifted an arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, holding her closely, and the two sat under the moon, feeling one another's pain and grief, slightly rocking back and forth. 7 didn't scold him or mock him for crying. He felt very grateful that she understood. He rocked her back and forth for a few minutes more. 9 felt as if, for a mere moment, their souls touched, and she could finally understand all that he felt inside his heart.

They withdrew from one another and 7 looked into his eyes. She held out her hand to him. 9 looked down at it and a flicker of a smile passed through his lips. He answered by wrapping his safe, reassuring fingers around hers, smaller and delicate. 9 felt…lighter, as if there had been a tank on his chest, compressing the life out of him, crushing him slowly and someone had come, lifting it off of him, enabling him to finally breathe in relief. He felt much better than he had these last three months. 7 squeezed his hand, a gesture he returned. They didn't say anything, but stood, and walked back into the house.

Their eyes didn't shed tears, but their hearts did.


	6. Bones, Metal, Scars and Feathers

**Here yah go, another chapter! I saved all the past reviews to Savior from the first upload, and it showed that it is now getting BETTER reception than the first upload! I'm so happy! Thanks to everyone! Oh, and Eternal is now finished and MKA has only two more chapters to go! **

**~Raindrops to all, Cel**

**Chapter Six: Bones, Metal, Scars and Feathers**

The next morning was the usual light grey, casting a silver glow upon the world as the clouds milked together to create a blanket over the sky. Whistling winds raced past the rubble and destroyed buildings, creating an eerie howling that thoroughly fitted the dead European realm. Everything was relatively calm and inside the house of the stitchpunks, 9 had woken before any of the others. He had been awake even before the sun had risen into the sky only to be pushed away by the clouds. He was standing in the room with the slain ragdolls, bending over 8. The largest ragdoll lay on a makeshift gurney 9 had constructed, make from a slab of wood and two large rocks.

Slowly and very vigilantly, 9 was threading a long needle he had found in the house through the fabric of 8's singed arm. He had cleaned the burn and dirt away and now he was sewing a small, dark grey patch over the injury. He remembered what 5 had done to heal 7's leg and he mirrored the movements with his own hands. Soon, the grey patch was sewn onto his arm and 8's body was restored.

Once done with 8, the young male ragdoll moved onto 6. He found out that he had been right once he opened the stitching of his shoulder – 6's shoulder was dislocated. 9 snapped the joint back into place very carefully and sewed his shoulder back together with gentle fingers. 9 knew he had very little experience in this field. This was more of 5's expertise and he had only seen a healing procedure once. However, somehow, some of this knowledge came to him, just as everything else did. Perhaps he _did_ inherit some skill from the Scientist.

Once 6 was fixed, 9 lifted 2 in his arms, setting him on the makeshift gurney. 9 saw that his leg had been torn when the Seamstress sewed him onto its tail. He bent over and tied more grey thread through the eye of the needle. The twins had found the small spool of thread for him. 9 gently sewed 2's previously injured leg back together. He even healed some of the old man's other, earlier injuries as well. He wanted them to all feel like they were mended, that they were healed, as if they hadn't died in the first place.

All through these long procedures, 9 didn't make a single sound. Even his breathing was hushed. The only noises in the silent room were the clinking of his metal hands busily working and the occasional click of his shuffling feet on the hard wooden floor.

2 was fixed now. 1's turn.

9 took 1's injured hand in his, holding it up gently, examining. 9 hadn't realized he was injured this badly. Putting the hand down, 9 picked up the thin sheet of metal he had salvaged and cut it apart with a small set of scissors. He reached into the bowl of tiny nuts and bolts beside him the twins had kindly found for him. He picked up a small red screwdriver. He painstakingly screwed each new bolt into 1's hand, using his uninjured one for reference. Soon enough, 1's hand looked like new and was nearly an exact replica of the other.

9 did not smile at his work. He closed his eyes and sighed. He put the screwdriver down, and turned to the last injured stitchpunk: 5. He had waited until 5 was the last one because he was scared he was going to further hurt his body. He was afraid that 5 would be in pain once reunited with it. 9 sighed softly again and tenderly cupped 5's head in his hands. 9 examined the left side of the one-eyed stitchpunk's face, burned and charred. There were small, melted wires that once used to be the workings of his lost eye. 9 then gently set 5's head down. Before continuing, 9 curled his fingers into fists, nearly horrified at what he was about to do. Opening his eyes again, he took the sharp pair of scissors from his pile of supplies and leaned in very close to 5. Carefully as not to cut anything else but the bindings, he detached the broken leather eye patch from the side of 5's face.

He was successful in doing this. He removed the patch from 5's eye socket, vaguely thinking that, if 5 had both eyes, they'd resemble each other (spare their feet and torso seals, as well as 5's slightly rounder face and belly). 9 placed the broken patch on the floor, shaking his head. For a moment, he paused as he looked down at his friend. 9 gently touched his exposed cheek with his fingertips, looking into the dark hole that used to hold his left eye. 9 sighed and withdrew, picking up the new leather plate that lay beside him. It was virtually the same color as the destroyed one, if not a bit darker. 9 placed it carefully over 5's eye socket and sewed it into place. Finally they were healed, perhaps a bit crudely, but mended all the same.

9 inhaled sharply, then sighed slowly as he looked at all of them, all healed. He sat wearily on a block of splintered wood behind him, rubbing the sides of his optics. He wanted nothing more than to sleep when he felt familiar fingers on his back. Looking up, he saw 7 sitting next to him, her eyes soft.

"You're almost as good as 5." She said, laughing weakly. He managed a small chuckle, but that was it. As she looked at them again he got up to his feet, walking into the corner of the room. 7's presence reminded him of something.

"9?" 7 asked, but as he rifled through some objects that sat on a wooden cart sitting in the corner, he held up a single finger and she kept quiet. With a slight, "aha," he turned and walked over to 7 once more, standing in front of her. Her eyes widened at the objects he brought forth.

"I know you don't need them, but I thought you might want them, because I know they meant a lot to you. I know they protected you." He said softly, holding out what he carried in his hands. It was 7's skullmet, her spear and shield. She took them slowly in her hands, looking down at them as she set her spear beside her. 9 sat back down beside her.

"I always thought that as long as I had my weapons, I'd get along just fine. I thought I'd always be able to keep myself safe." 7 said, running her fingers through the slightly singed feathers of her skullmet. She then scoffed. "Well, they really didn't do much when I was nearly killed by the Beast."

"What do you mean?" 9 asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Well…it was a long time ago, way before you woke. I had left us to scout out, and because I had had more than enough of 1's ways – always locking us away, not letting us fight. I had fought the Beast a few times, but I could never seem to kill it. It would always run back to the factory or I would have to hide because I was exhausted or hurt."

Finally, one day, I was out in the Emptiness, and it surprised me. I wasn't expecting it – I thought it was miles away – and it tried to kill me. It managed to knock me out and capture me. It took me back to the factory and to the Machine. When I woke again, I was in a cage. But that's how I got this…" she patted her skullmet. "I know it sounds really…weird, but I felt protected. I felt like I could fly away like a bird, free, and I managed to fight my way past the Beast when it tried to take me out of the cage and give my soul to the Machine, I guess."

I made it out into the Emptiness again, and I threw it off my trail for a few days. I readied myself with these," she then touched her spear and shield, "and then it came. I thought I could finally kill it, but I didn't. It overpowered me for one single second, and it picked me up in its claws. I remember struggling, trying to get out of its grasp, but then…then it threw me against a wooden wall. A nail was driven into my back and I collapsed. I remember the pain, how much it hurt. The nail had sliced completely through me. I couldn't get up. The pain…sort of paralyzed me and I could only lie on the ground, trying to stay awake. It was coming for me. I think it was either going to take me back to the Machine, or kill me. Then I heard 5 come, and I blacked out."

Next thing I knew, I was laying in 5's room. He had injured the Beast and brought me home and fixed me up. I only stayed until I was well enough to walk again and I left immediately. That's how I lost part of my number." She recalled, unaware that she was touching the scar patch that concealed over half of her number – half of her identity – a bit sadly. But then she smiled at 9, who was watching her, listening intently to her story.

"Thank you, for all you've done. I'm sorry for doubting you." She said, and he gazed at her. The dull grey light that streamed into the room pathetically seemed to make a silvery glow resonate from her and his mechanical heart sped in pace. Her face was so beautiful…her eyes mesmerized him…why…?

"What are you staring at?" 7 asked, raising her brows and looking perplexed, glancing over her shoulder. 9 blinked and averted his eyes, quickly clearing his throat in embarrassment. _Why_ did he just stare at her like that?

"Um...nothing, sorry. It was just…uh…yeah." He stammered. 7 rolled her eyes and shook her head. He looked absolutely exhausted and he deserved a good rest.

"Come on, the twins want to see you. They really missed you when you were gone." She said, offering her hand. He took it, and she helped him up. They left the room, going down the steps to the awaiting twins.

The rest of the day passed by very quietly. 9 managed to rest for an hour, the ache in his joints disappearing. 3 and 4 seemed overjoyed to see their leader. When he entered the room with 7, they both jumped to their feet and wrapped their arms tightly around him, burying their faces in his chest. As he hugged them back, he found himself being thankful that he had them in his life, especially now, when he needed some happiness.

They all did.


	7. Reawakening Those Lost

**Here it is! Finally the chapter where the Lost get to come back! I'm so happy with all the reviews you guys are giving me, they're really lifting my spirits in a time when it's difficult to do so. You guys are all awesome - surprisingly, this story is getting twice the reception it got from when it was first on FF! You guys rock! **

**Oh, and if you'd like, check out my new DeviantArt account, under the same name. It would mean a lot! :)**

**~Raindrops to all, Cel**

**Chapter Seven: Reawakening Those Lost**

With the next morning came a tension in the misty air. 9 was standing outside, alone, in a clearing nearby. This was where he was to bring them back. He was standing over 5's body, his slightly shaking hands holding the talisman closely to his chest. He was staring at the sky, into the dark grey, ominous clouds. 9 then closed his eyes and bowed his head to his chest, silently praying that this was, somehow, going to work. The slain ragdolls lay in a circle as their shrines once were. The air was damp and it was very cold, but he hardly cared. He just kept running his fingers over the talisman, still debating on whether or not to do this, his eyes remaining closed. He knew dead was forever. Bringing back a soul, let alone five, wasn't supposed to happen – then again, perhaps this was supposed to happen. If they were trapped, perhaps it would be doing them a great kindness. Perhaps this would make up for what he had done.

Before he carried out the sequence of the symbols on the talisman, he heard the sound of soft footsteps on the dew-covered ground behind him. Turning around, he saw 7 and the twins coming up to him.

"You don't have to do this alone." 7 said softly, standing beside him and touching the hand that wasn't holding the talisman. He smiled at her gratefully and she returned it. The twins also gave him a smile. 4 and 3 both reached out around 7 with a hand and gently pushed the talisman into 9's chest, urging him to go on.

He smiled softly back at them, affection for the two little ones filling his uncertain heart. Looking down at the talisman, remembering the sequence 5 had shown him, he pressed the first symbol key…then the second…and finally the last. There was a pause that seemed to last forever…

The talisman began to shake violently in his hands. 9 didn't try to hold onto it. He placed it on the ground, nearly dropping it and stepped outside the circle of the dead ragdolls. The talisman ruptured open and glowed eerily, the light illuminating the morning around them. Then, suddenly, a green light burst into the air. It was one thin tower coming from the plates of the symbols. 9 was nearly knocked backward as it did this, but as he stumbled, 7 caught him by the arms and helped him to regain his balance.

There was something like thunder as the talisman hummed mechanically, the light piercing through the clouds. Five green lights came from up above the clouds and merged with the beam of light, spiraling down the tower as it seemed to retrieve them from the sky. The shaft of light then withdrew back into the talisman, as fast as the lightning that was threatening to strike. The talisman, however, didn't close, as the beam of light widened. A figure slowly rose and stepped out from the light.

The spirit of 6 grinned widely at the four survivors. He raised a hand and waved enthusiastically at the four. All four of them raised their hands and waved back, overjoyed to see the artist once more. He beamed and the light that surrounded him seemed to glow brighter. 6 then walked up to 9, and curiously peered up into his face. The spirit seemed to be contemplating something, for his wide eyes searched 9's face for something. 9 blinked, raising his brows in surprise as 6 continued to run his mismatched eyes over his face. He smiled at 9 softly, seemingly satisfied with his search. Then, he turned around and walked along the circle, looking for his body, at peace with the world around him.

9, 7, 3 and 4 turned their attention back to the talisman. The light widened even further. A large figure rose out of it and 8 looked cynically down upon them. He grinned then, winked and turned away, going to find his own body.

1 rose slowly and looked straight at the survivors, impassive. His sinister eyes were narrowed as he gazed at 9 and 7. The spirit then gave a small smile with one single brief wave. 7 and 9 nodded once to the spirit while the twins gave him tentative smiles from behind the two adults. 1 nodded back and turned away, hands held behind his back as if he was taking some sort of contemplative stroll around the circle. 9's heartbeat quickened as 2 ascended from the talisman and smiled widely and warmly at 9, 7 and the twins, who returned it. He too, waved, but a little less enthusiastically as 6 did, beaming widely and lovingly at his children. He then looked to the talisman, and the last figure was rising out of the light. 2 slowly stepped aside to let him ascend freely.

5, humble and as docile as ever, looked up to the survivors, smiling warmly. 9 froze as 5 looked into his eyes. He blinked once in sure surprise and 5's happy grin became wider. He walked towards 9. 9 remained fixed to the spot, but 7 took the twins' hands as they stepped aside, allowing 5 to come to 9.

"5…I'm so sorry…I shouldn't have – I-I never should've – I-I t-tried to…I'm so sorry." 9 stammered. His friend deserved every single apology in the universe for what 9 did to him, for how much pain he had caused him. But he was so ashamed, he could only whisper, "I'm sorry" again. 5 peered closely and curiously at him, wondering why he was apologizing. 9 bowed his head and closed his eyes tightly, feeling hollow inside, contemptible, unable to look 5 in the eye. 5 placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. 9 raised his eyes, barely noticing the now-familiar, but still bizarre sensation of being touched by a spirit. The spirit was smiling at him. It was a forgiving smile, and it was forgiving the way 5 gave his shoulder a small squeeze. He then turned away from 9 and kneeled beside his body. 5's form was lying on his back, his arms crossed over his chest, his face peaceful and vacant. 9 stepped back slowly as 5 examined his mended body. He reached forward and gently touched the new eye patch with his fingertips. It was leather, just like last time. His grin became even wider and he looked up at 9, giving a small nod of appreciation. 9 watched him, hoping that he had done everything right.

Suddenly, time itself seemed to slow. The five souls rose into the sky somewhat, levitating over their bodies. Glistening particles surrounded their glowing spirits. 9, 7 and the twins watched in awe as they seemed to turn into wisps of smoke and they entered their bodies through the eyes and mouth. A bright green glow surrounded the bodies as they were lifted into the air, rotating slowly. Light emanated from their eyes and mouth as the souls reentered their bodies. The glow seemed even brighter as the five stitchpunks hung in the air, hanging down over the four watching in complete astonishment. Then, the light disappeared completely. The glowing particles evaporated into the air as the bodies were lowered to the ground gently. Each lay down softly and everything was still and silent, the wild phenomenon coming to a close.

9 watched the bodies in slight apprehension. Everything remained silent. 9 took a step towards 5, keeping his eyes on him. And then, his buttoned chest rose slightly and fell. Again, it rose and fell and then 5 gasped. His eye closed, then reopened slowly as he struggled to sit up, giving a weak groan, struggling for a proper breath. Quickly, 9 rushed forward and grabbed his arm, helping him to sit upp. As 5 sighed, rubbing the side of his head, 9 stepped back, almost not wanting to believe it. This was just a dream from which he would awake and his hopes would be crushed…

5 opened his eye again and looked up. His face broke into a wide smile as he caught sight of 9.

"You did it!" He exclaimed happily, trying to get to his feet. His entire form shook with weakness. 9 came forward and helped him up to unsteady feet. 5 was still smiling at 9, who instead of feeling happy, felt anguish and angst, although he was completely unsure why he felt this. His best friend was back. He should feel happy…

"5, I – you should have never…I just – it's my fault that this…I can't – I…" he stammered, trying once more to apologize to 5, trying to get the words out correctly, but 5 just shook his head at him. 9 sighed and bent his head, the poor young male ultimately lost for words.

"It's all over. It's just a memory." He said to 9 softly, who nodded wordlessly. 5 understood it all, the silence and the words and he wrapped his arms around his best friend, hugging him with a fierce compassion. 9 blinked and stared on, extremely confused and shocked. His arms hung at his sides and he didn't return the embrace. 9 could hardly believe it. After all he'd done, after all the pain he'd caused 5, the older man was embracing him like a brother. He was here now. He was really here.

An overwhelming wave of emotion crashed over 9, and, with a choked sob, he finally returned the embrace. His fingers gripped his brother tightly as he let his head fall and rest on 5's shoulder. All of the emotions within 9 overwhelmed him, broke his heart, and mended it at the same time. 9 buried his face into 5's shoulder, closing his eyes tightly and the older stitchpunk rubbed his friend's numbered back tenderly. 9 couldn't even begin to describe how remarkable the feeling of forgiveness felt. 5 had forgiven him for his mistake, He could ask for nothing more in those moments as he welcomed his best friend back into the world.

"5, I'm sorry about what I did. You shouldn't have died, none of you." 9 said softly and the two withdrew and faced one another.

"We're back now, and it's over. There's nothing to be sorry for." 5 replied, and 9 beamed at him. He felt the same feeling he had long ago. It was a feeling that had died along with 5 – a feeling that told him what it was like to have an elder brother.

"Now, come on. I'm not the only one who wants to see you." 5 said good-naturedly. 9 grinned, then felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. Turning, he found himself looking into the mismatched eyes of 6.

"Hello, 6." He said, looking down at the insane, banded stitchpunk. 6 grinned widely, looking happier than 9 had ever seen him.

"We're back, we're home!" 6 said softly, nothing but pure joy emanating from his resurrected form.

"Yeah, I can see that!" 9 laughed as 6 gave a little giggle, then went to greet 5. 7 and the twins were among those who were now alive, happily hugging and patting backs and cheerfully talking. 9 smiled softly at 7, who caught his gaze. Her smile widened even further as she looked at him, then went back to greeting her friends. 9 sighed contentedly, relieved to see her truly happy again. Then, he nearly stumbled as 8 gruffly patted his back with one enormous hand. He rubbed his back and grinned nervously up at 8.

"Hi, 8." He said up to the large stitchpunk, who grunted as a greeting, but offered a small smile. Then, 2's old and frail figure walked up to him, opening his arms and smiling widely. 9 smiled back and walked to meet 2, enfolding his very first friend in a tender embrace, a sort of warm glow filling his whole body and making his soul glow even brighter.

"Thank you, my friend. Thank you." 2 said softly. 9's eyes met his own, which were filled with life and warmth.

"Friend." He repeated, mirroring his first word, which 2 had taught him.. 2 beamed up at him. 9 returned the smile. Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Releasing 2 and turning around he saw 1. The first stitchpunk was actually faintly smiling at him, his sinister eyes soft.

"Well done, young 9." He said quietly. 9 gave him a smile in return. He couldn't believe it. This was really happening. This was _real_.

"Thank you, 1." 9 replied. He sighed happily, looking all around at the reunited coven, who were now nine once more. There was a happy smile on everyone's faces. The morning suddenly felt much warmer and less wet, even though the mist had shown no signs of letting up and it had begun to lightly drizzle. 9 didn't care at all. He had his friends back. No one was dead, and the hole in his heart began to heal.

For this was no dream. This was real.


	8. The Discoveries Of The Spine Machine

**Here is the chapter where the story truly begins. Thanks to all my reviewers! **

**The Spine Machine belongs soely to me. **

**Check out my new DeviantArt, and don't forget to review! **

**~Raindrops to all, Cel **

**Chapter Eight: The Discoveries of the Spine Machine**

It was across the country at this very time, when something – a large, dark creature stepped over a mound of rubble, revealing itself. It looked irately at its missing claw, now just a sparking stump. Snarling, it looked all around the wasteland that once used to be the easternmost region of the country. There was a large steel blade nearby, roughly the size of a kitchen knife, lying sticking out of the ground.

The creature blinked once and strode over to it. As it dug through the concrete stones, it unearthed a great deal of blades. It held its broken hand close to its chest. It cocked its head and grabbed the largest blade in its jaws. Placing its hand on the ground and lining the blade with the sparking stump, the creature issued a flame over it, attaching its new appendage to its hand. Soon, it had a new claw, much better than the last. It was lost when struck by a bolt of lightning during a rainless thunderstorm last night. The mysterious creature flexed its new claws, and then stepped out of the shadows and into the grey light of the morning.

It had a plated metal head that closely resembled some sort of dragon or spinosaurid dinosaur. It was adorned with metal horns and spikes all around its face. It had razor-sharp teeth and its face was illuminated by the glowing, blood-red eyes. Harpoons stuck out of its back like tall, backwards-sloping spines. A crossbow and a blowtorch were mounted in its chest. The nozzle of the torch snaked up its long, spiked neck and the opening rested in the back of the creature's throat. A small, round socket was located below that. It had a long, whip-like tail mounted with a spear, long, with thin back legs. It also had a human-like ribcage that was covered with metal plates, creating a cage and much shorter but equally deadly front legs.

It was the Spine Machine.

This creature was created by other forces to try and fight the War of the Machines. It looked much different than its original design. It was in a war all on its own. It easily killed those two-legged creatures. It had survived much longer by scavenging the parts of dead Machines. The one who designed it and the Scientist were old colleagues, whom had turned enemies when the other scientist wanted build a Machine with everything to kill – animal-like stealth, a deceptive appearance, fire, guns, harpoons, claws, teeth, agility, and the ability to fix broken Machines. It couldn't make them, but could repair them.

The Spine Machine had since lost its guns and tools to the elements. But because it had the ability to learn and evolve, it was able to save itself. A deeply ingrained instinct kept it going all these years.

Because the scientists once worked together in peace and harmony, the other scientist knew about the talisman. When they became enemies, the Dark Scientist created the Spine Machine with the ability to sense the talisman whenever it was activated. He instructed his creation to help the Fabrication Machine take the world, unknowing that it would turn against humanity. However, because of the war, the Machine was unable to get to the country and kill the Scientist, who had gone into hiding and take up cause with the Fabrication Machine.

But now, the Machine was free to find the Scientist and kill him, not knowing of his death, or of the ragdolls. It began to walk through the wastelands, turning its head from side-to-side. The talisman had been activated merely an hour ago, but for an unknown reason. It snarled as it calculated that the talisman and the Scientist were 79.3902 miles away.

It began to run towards the talisman's signal on its two back legs, tucking its forelegs to its chest. It didn't stop for anything, ignoring the elements and obstacles around it. It just kept running, glowing red eyes fixed on the road ahead. The sense of time was useless to the Spine Machine. If it took hours or months to reach the talisman's signal, it would get there.

The Machine just kept running, the springing of its legs being the only noise in the dead badlands. It passed many things of unimportance to it. There was a mixture of dead humans and dead Machines. These insignificant things didn't deter the Machine in its mission. It soon entered the destroyed walls of the city, and it knew that the Scientist was close by.

Suddenly, it halted, kicking up two large clouds of dust. It wasn't a very large Machine, roughly the size of the Cat Beast if not a bit taller. The Fabrication Machine's immense body towered over it menacingly, even in death. It screeched angrily, the roar echoing through the country. Then the Spine Machine approached the dead pile of metal and examined it closely. Through a careful analysis, it figure out that the Fabrication Machine had the talisman stolen was killed by its power. It growled low in the back of its mechanical throat and looked around the vicinity. Rusty cars, shattered glass, and a diversity of bolts littered the ground. The Spine Machine snarled and bent down, whipping its tail around in irritation and picking up sheets of metal. It then began to attach them to the injured parts of the Machine.

It needed the Machine's power to kill the Scientist and anything else alive out here. It also needed the talisman, which the Spine Machine was unable to use. It then picked up the sheet glass, cut it, and attached it to the Machine's broken red eye.

It was nearly finished with the Machine when it traveled to where the leader of the revolution once had resided. It needed to make sure that the factory was ready for the Machine's return. The Spine Machine found that the factory had been destroyed. It snarled…this was the Scientist's work. Climbing through the debris, it began to dig through the rubble with sharp claws that grated against the stone. It soon came across the Cat Beast's body, burn marks streaking along its body and its decapitated head lying away from its corpse. This was an easy fix, and it quickly reattached the Cat Beast's head to its body.

It fixed every severed wire and attached it to the central power system of the Beast. The single crimson eye sparked, then began to glow. The Spine Machine stood back as the Beast stood to its own claws, throwing its head back and snarling to the sky. It looked over its shoulder to the Machine and snarled. It had been a very long time since it had seen the Spine Machine and it wasn't a warm reunion.

Then the Spine Machine and the Cat Beast then returned to the Fabrication Machine. The Spine Machine then it opened a cavity inside of its chest with its claws. Inside the socket was a small glowing blue orb of nothing but pure energy. The strange orb emitted a low hum and crackled with electric energy. With a claw, it severed its own heart in two pieces. One half was the perfect fit for the Fabrication Machine's socket and so it was placed inside to awaken it. The half of the orb crackled and hummed even louder, blue bolts of electricity snaking up into the Machine. The huge red eye flickered, then glowed menacingly. A screeching roar filled the silence in a triumphant call.

The Fabrication Machine was at power once more.


	9. Event Horizon

**Here comes another chapter! This is where the story truly picks up and the stitchpunks are forced to begin their last adventure. Oh, and Cai? You have no idea how you saying that Spiny is the second-scariest Machine that has been created in the 9 universe (the first, OF COURSE, being the Seamstress *shudders*) **

**Hey, I am having a little contest. Lady Gaga calls her fans, "Little Monsters" and Adam Young calls his "Owlets." I need a name for my fans (since the number is growing at a breakneck speed. I'm not boasting - in fact, I'm overwhelmed!) Submit your idea in a review or PM, and the winner will be revealed in Chapter 11! **

**~Raindrops to all, Cel **

**Chapter Nine: Event Horizon**

Many miles away, the stitchpunk coven resided in 9's hideaway, living a carefree life. They were completely unaware of the awakening. 1 and 8 seemed unbeknownst of what to do with themselves. They were enforcers of the war, but now that it was all peace, what were they good for now? However, 8 never missed a chance to rough someone up a bit. For example, he had been sharpening his sword on a slab of rock, a bored expression on his face. An excited 6 had rushed by, then tripped over his idly outstretched foot. 8 had snarled and picked the frightened 6 up by his key and lifted him off of his feet. 8 had menacingly growled, "Watch where you're going, Stripes," and put him back on the ground roughly, leaving poor 6 unhurt, but visibly shaken.

1 never passed up an opportunity to bark at someone, for minor infractions, even. However, sometimes he even smiled. On one of these days, the twins had decided to try to play a lark on one of the stitchpunks. They had found a sheet of virtually unused bubble wrap inside the house. They had discovered that if you prodded one of the air-filled pockets hard enough, it would explode with a loud and startling sound.

They took the sheet to the room where 9 was sitting alone. He was quietly reading a piece of paper from a book and the twins had made sure everything was completely still and quiet before popping a bubble each. 9 had jumped nearly a foot in the air with a startled yelp. 1, 5 and 7 had wandered into the room, watching. The two younger adults laughed as 9 rounded on the twins. He tickled them playfully in revenge and they gave themselves over to silent giggles. As 1 watched this, he couldn't help but give a small chuckle at the scene. He also couldn't help but notice how kind and gentle this young man was to the two small children, something he realized he had failed to see in his before life.

Their lives were carefree, and for once, they all felt safe. It was absolutely wonderful. The only thing that troubled 9 was this: why couldn't the five slain ragdolls move on to the Land Beyond? He wondered why their mission wasn't over, but decided early on just to ignore this nagging feeling. 9 had asked 5 once if he knew why this was. 5 could only apologize and say that he had no idea either. The mysterious being that had told them the information had disappeared, and never came again. So, 9 tried to forget about it. His friends were back now, and everyone was happy. He found himself more content than he ever had before in his short life. Nevertheless, the strange feeling kept bothering 9 and he wondered what was going on.

Around three weeks after the resurrection, it was a darker day than usual. The clouds that hovered above high in the sky created a dark grey, almost black ceiling over the world. 9 was sitting quietly inside his home on a leg of a desk propped against a wall. He was bent over the talisman, cleaning it with a piece of beige cloth he had salvaged from the ruins of the house. The object was virtually useless now, but for some strange reason, it was important to him. He didn't exactly know why, but yet, it was. It was some sort of instinct that urged him to keep it.

"Hey." 7's voice greeted him and he looked up. She was walking towards him, and he slid over to make room for her. She sat beside him.

"Hey, 7." He replied, a bit jadedly, setting the cloth down beside him and unzipping himself. He made to put the talisman back inside of his chest, where he kept it, but 7 placed a hand on his, the one holding the talisman. The male stitchpunk looked curiously at her.

"Why did you keep it?" She asked. It wasn't a scornful question and that made 9 feel better. He paused and held out the talisman in front of them.

"Well, I'm not sure, exactly. But I felt as if it was important. And…and it felt like I was carrying them with me always." He replied quietly, placing the talisman inside of his chest and zipping himself up. 7 looked up at him curiously.

"They're back now, and it's all done." She said, her brows furrowing slightly. "It was as if their dying had never happened."

"I know that. It's not something I take for granted. I-I know that if we die, it's forever. It's just…I'm worried about what 5 said. He said that they were trapped because they were unable to move on, because our mission isn't over. I don't know what he means by that. Even _he_ doesn't know." 9 said, staring fixedly at the ground, sighing. 7 patted his shoulder gently.

"I'm not sure either, but it will be okay. I don't think anything bad is going to happen to us." She replied, and he smiled up at her, grateful for the reassurance and her kind words.

"Now come on, you look lonely." She said, getting to her feet, and he followed her. Together, they walked through the hallways to the drawing room, where the others were resting or talking or playing, like the twins, who were pestering 6. He had been sitting on his knees, quietly drawing, and they kept taking persistent pictures of him. When he decided to try to playfully catch them, they evaded his grasp, pulling on his key or tousling his hair from behind, giggling at their mischievousness.

9 smiled at this, watching. He felt 7's fingers brush against his as she shifted her weight from one foot to another. 9 realized she was now much closer to him, and a warm feeling crept through his inner workings, particularly on his face. Whether this touch was accidental or intentional, 9 never had the chance to find out, for he suddenly felt an odd, burning sensation coming from inside of his torso. He knew immediately it was the talisman. He started and touched his abdomen tenderly. It burned the tips of his fingers and he became extremely frightened. Quickly he turned away and ran from 7 and the others, apprehension taking over.

"9?" 7 called after him in question, and followed.

9 stood behind a book in another room, hidden away from all the others. He unzipped himself, pulling out the talisman and gazing at it, eyes wide. The burning immediately disappeared from his abdomen, but now his palms were hot from holding the talisman. What was causing this was immediately apparent. The three symbols on the front and the three holes on the bottom were _glowing_.

9's breathing was heavy and labored as he stared at the talisman, feeling as if the world was spinning down into darkness once more. Something was coming, or else the talisman wouldn't be doing this. His heart plummeted and his eyes grew even wider as his face was illuminated by the familiar, eerie green glow.

"No, _no_." He breathed, his hands trembling, nearly dropping the talisman. This wasn't happening. It _couldn't_ be. They had defeated all of the Machines, and their world was safe again. His coven was safe…they _had_ to be…

"9, what's wrong?" 7 said firmly, finding him and rushing to him. He looked at her over his shoulder, horrified.

"There's something out there." 9 said quickly and he leapt to his feet. He thrust the talisman inside of himself, no longer caring about the burning sensation. He looked around and reached out, grabbing the light staff, which was lying in a corner of the empty room where it provided some light. He ran past a dumbstruck 7, out of the house into the broken world.

9 halted in the clearing where he had brought the five souls back to earth. His eyes searched the space around him desperately, frantically hoping that they were alone...that something wasn't bearing down upon them…that the talisman was just having some sort of dormant mechanical issue…

The morning was so cold that his breaths came out in misty puffs before him. But the chills that were sent through his body were nothing compared to his fright for his coven. He scanned the world all around, holding the light staff high, trying to see if anything was hiding in the niches of the concrete and debris that surrounded the house. Nothing was there and it was entirely silent. He listened intently for any sound around him. His only answer was the whistling of the wind and his strangled breathing.

Suddenly, there was the echo of groaning metal, loud and obvious in the haunting, forever silence. 9 looked to the sides of him, jerking his head from side to side, startled by the noise. It grew louder and louder, then abruptly stopped, leaving a faint echo. 9 blinked, his heart hammering against his chest. He looked to all sides of him for the source of the noise. Then, he froze in terror and horror as he realized whatever it was, it was right behind him.

9 whipped around on his heel as a gigantic set of razor claws came crashing down upon him. They knocked him off of his feet and pinned him to the ground, knocking the light staff out of his hands. His eyes snapped open and he found himself staring into the glowing blood red eyes of the Spine Machine.

He gave a cry of dread and terror. This was something he had never seen before, and it was like being attacked by the Cat Beast all over again. 9 tried to struggle out of the Machine's grasp, but it just held him there tightly, bearing down upon him, the claws upon his chest cutting off his breathing, the razor-toothed jaws opening slowly...

It suddenly screeched loudly as a spear rammed into its skull, making a slight dent just underneath its right eye. Shaking its head, it looked up and roared at 7, who had arrived on the scene. Her skullmet was pulled over her face and her shield held over her head. She ran to the monster, dodging the claw of the Machine, which tried to clip her. She went to retrieve her spear, which had landed on the ground. The Spine Machine then paused, its free claw raised slightly.

_Both _of these small things were the Scientist. It realized that they had his essence inside of them. It looked from the male, and then to the female, who was trying to pull the male out from underneath its claws. The Spine Machine then set its eyes on 9 and saw that he had the talisman, for it could sense it inside of him. It had called for the talisman once it had realized it had been activated, and it had answered.

This…thing, whatever it was, was what it needed. The piece of the Scientist had the talisman to keep the Fabrication Machine alive and a soul to strengthen the Machine. Now it would be able to get the half of its heart back. The Spine Machine whipped around its tail in anger, snarling at the two. The female ragdoll continued to try and get the male out from underneath it's claws. The Spine Machine lunged at her and the very sharp tip of the long tail clipped 7 in the side of the head, causing her to let go of 9's hands and fall to the ground with a cry. As the tail whistled through the air, it struck 5, who had ran towards the commotion, in the chest. He fell to the ground as well in a crumpled heap, winded, his crossbow falling from his hands.

"No!" 9 cried, trying once more to struggle out of the Machine's iron grasp and get to his friends. He struggled fiercely, trying to see if 7 and 5 were hurt or if they were alright. The Machine, however, screeched at him once more, irritated. It closed its claws around his middle, lifted him from the ground, then slammed him down with so much force, it knocked him unconscious immediately.

The Spine Machine then pointed its muzzle towards the house, opened its jaws, and blew a string of fire all upon it. Fire engulfed the house, and 7 opened her eyes to see her home ablaze. She gasped as the smoke engulfed her, blocking her vision. The Spine Machine gave a snort, bent down and picked 9 up in its jaws, holding his limp body tightly. The razor-sharp teeth nearly cut through his burlap skin.

Its triumphant roar could be heard through the smoke as 7 leapt to her feet, trying to find the others through the smoke. Suddenly, 5 appeared, with the twins holding his hands and coughing. The others were all following him and 7 lead the group out of the suffocating cloud of black smoke. Burning embers fell to the ground around them, smoke rising into the air. They turned to watch their home go up in flames, horrified and shocked that another monster had attacked them.

Although the six others were thoroughly covered in ash, they were fine and none the worse for wear. They then turned around and saw the Machine bounding away on two long legs, flying through the Emptiness and to distant hills. Everyone shook with fright, holding to each other and trying to overcome the shock. 7 blinked and suddenly started, looking all around the clearing desperately.

"9? Where's 9?!" She exclaimed to the others.

"I-I thought he escaped!" 5 cried, his heart beginning to thud painfully against his chest.

"No…that thing had him pinned and I tried to get him, but it knocked me out of the way. I didn't see him…after that…" her sentence trailed off as she realized what had happened.

"It took him," 5 whispered in horror, his eye growing wide. His lower lip trembled as he looked into the distance where the monster had disappeared. 7 followed his gaze, horrorstricken. It had taken 9. It had taken him away.

The twins buried their faces in 2's shoulders, crying. He held them tightly, standing still in shock. 7 looked to the ground and saw the light staff lying in the rubble. She walked over to it and picked it up gently. The bulb now had a small crack in the glass. She looked at it as she stood and 5 came to stand beside her. 7 stared down at the staff while 5 placed a hand upon her shoulder. At this touch, she looked up at him, a deep, resolute look in her eyes. She held the staff in her hand as she would her own spear and looked to the horizon. 5 followed her gaze and she knew that he was with her.

Even if they had to do it alone, they were going after him.


	10. Near Escape

**Hey guys! Here's another chapter, in which we will see if 9 will survive this close encounter with the Fabrication Machine. **

**In it's re-edit, Savior has now hit the 101,000 word mark! Break out the cookies and champange!**

**~Raindrops to all, Cel **

**Chapter 10: Near Escape**

The Spine Machine silently raced through the wastelands. It's powerful, mechanically sinuous body flexed with each stroke of its powerful legs. The small ragdoll it had captured lay limp and lifeless in the large cage that made up its chest. He was still out cold, but alive. The Machine could easily read the warmth left in his body, could easily feel the miniscule electric currents surging from his heart through his body. It could also feel the ethereal radiation emanating from the talisman, still inside the little doll's chest. But that wasn't going to be for long.

The Spine Machine continued to sprint through the Emptiness. It headed to the other side of the city, many miles away. The destruction around it didn't daunt the monster in the slightest. This lifelessness was the norm, what the Machine was programmed to expect. Soon, the main city ebbed away, replaced by immense fields leading out into the Barrens, the land far beyond the Emptiness. The only thing the stitchpunks could ever make out in the Barrens were the vast mountains, the land out there subject to nature's severity. Suddenly, out of the swirling fog, there loomed a gigantic, rocky shape. It soon took the form of a crumbling stone citadel.

The Citadel was once a gorgeous fortress turned into a stronghold when the War of the Machines descended amongst the country. The tallest of its towers was where a huge bell resided. The Machine surveyed its surroundings, making quite sure that it was alone. Snorting, it pushed open the huge wooden doors enclosing the Citadel. It closed it with a back foot, making sure that it was latched. There was no way the little ragdoll could escape its fate. However, the Machine hadn't noticed the small sliver of space underneath the door, merely a few inches wide…

The Fabrication Machine was still insanely weak and in extreme need of repair. The Spine Machine and Cat Beast had assisted it to the Citadel, the only place large enough for the colossal monster. It could barely move, but now that it was safe from the elements, the Fabrication Machine was starting to recover. In the Spine Machine's absence, the Machine had built itself a new connection to the Citadel, using it as a power source. This was very similar to the connection it had to the factory. The Cat Beast acted as the scout, scavenging the wastelands for materials to use.

The Spine Machine crept slowly and quietly towards the citadel, keeping a wary lookout for the little beings. Its right cheekbone throbbed painfully from where the female had hit it with her spear. As it walked to the main foyer, where the Machine resided, it dropped to all fours and walked across the marble floor, it's razor sharp claws clacking eerily against it. There was very little light in here, and the entire room was littered with things that belonged to humans. The Machines didn't care, though.

As it entered the main foyer, the Spine Machine approached a small oil lamp case that had fallen to the ground. The glass was still intact, so it used it as a cage. Opening its chest, the Spine Machine seized 9 and tossed his lifeless body into the lamp. The Machine slammed it shut, and locked the cage door with a claw. The little ragdoll still did not wake, and it snorted at the ragdoll before walking away.

The Spine Machine trotted over to the Fabrication Machine and the Cat Beast. It snarled, jerking its head over to the lamp which held 9. The Machine gave a shrill growl in liking, pleased that the Spine Machine had brought a ragdoll, with a strong and young soul, to power it. The Cat Beast was shoved roughly out of the way as the Spine Machine went to work on the Fabrication Machine. It needed a few more repairs to ensure that it was strong enough to withhold a soul. After a small scuffle between the two animal-like monsters, the Spine Machine went to work on the Machine.

In the lamp cage, 9 slowly regained his consciousness. He blinked his eyes open. His vision was blurred and he rubbed his aching head. Looking up, he finally was able to see clearly and his eyes fell upon what he was captured by. For a moment, he could only stare at the three Machines, his heart falling horribly. He gasped softly and cowered against the glass. His jaw dropped as he started in horror. This simply couldn't be happening. The Machine couldn't be alive once again. He had destroyed it! His coven couldn't be in this much danger once more, not when he had just managed to bring them back. Shaking his head, furiously, 9 knew that he could not panic. His coven was in extreme danger.

Breathing heavily, he looked around desperately for an escape. There was none that he could distinguish from the stone walls that surrounded him, that trapped him. He slumped against the iron bars and thick glass of the cage in shock and distress. He stared at the hard, cold floor of his imprisonment. This wasn't supposed to happen, none of this was. He realized he had brought back the others to a still-dangerous world, and that they were in danger of being killed once more. 6…2…the twins…5…7…

Suddenly, the Spine Machine turned around from the other Machines and 9 closed his eyes tightly. He feigned unconsciousness, trying to slow his sharp, shallow breaths. He hoped to the Creator that the Machine wouldn't be able to register his raging heartbeat. The Spine Machine opened the cage door and clutched him in its razor claws, unknowing that he was now alert. He determinedly remained limp and lifeless, keeping his head slumped against his chest. With its other claw, the Machine unzipped him, and pulled out the talisman. It growled as it pinned 9 beneath its claws once more. It reached up, taking out the half of the glowing blue orb from the Machine's port. The Fabrication Machine sparked a bit, blue lines dancing across its frame. The cyan light illuminated the room. It shrieked as the power drained rapidly from its body.

The Spine Machine snorted at it, and inserted the talisman, reattaching the half of the orb to its own half in its chest. The Fabrication Machine rose in the air, spread its long, spindly arms and shrieked in triumph, its crimson eye glowing brighter than ever. It had finally returned 9 gasped as he opened his eyes, looking up, and now knew why it needed him: his soul was going to power the Machine. Knowing he had to act quickly, 9 desperately reached for an old rope lying next to the Cat Beast's paw. While they were distracted and still believing he was unconscious, 9 carefully and gently tied a tight knot around the Beast's paw and one of the Machine's claws.

The Spine Machine shuddered as the power of the orb revitalized it and lowered its head to 9. It picked him up roughly in its claws. 9, however, had a rock from the rubble clutched in his hands. The Spine Machine had raised him up and he took the sharp stone and threw it to one of its eyes with as much force as he could muster. It screamed and dropped him. It shook its head, trying to rid itself of the sudden, sharp pain. 9 scrambled to his feet as fast as he could, and ran towards the entrance of the Citadel. 9's heart leaped as he saw the sliver of light underneath the gigantic wooden doors – a small, but sure opening to the outside world.

The Spine Machine, however, was quick in recovering itself and it gave a seething hiss as it noticed 9 running across the rubble. The Fabrication Machine screamed as its prey was escaping. 9 ran as fast as his legs could possibly carry him to the opening, knowing that this was his one and only chance to make it out of the citadel alive. He knew that his chances of survival were very slim. He was right in front of the three deadliest machines that ever graced the Earth without anywhere to hide. He had one chance to make it out, or his life – and his coven – ended here.

The Cat Beast leapt for 9, its clawed paws spread wide. It suddenly jolted violently sideways. The Spine Machine shrieked as it was thrown to the ground, leg pulled out painfully to the side by the Cat Beast. Both Machines toppled to the floor, screeching in anger and confusion as the rope tangled around their claws. The Fabrication Machine roared in fury as it loomed forward, reaching an arm to grab 9. The young stitchpunk ran as fast as he could, bought a few seconds by his clever plan. He could feel the claw mere inches from his back. Suddenly, the entire Citadel rumbled as the Machine crashed against the narrow opening. The rocks cracked and rubble fell to the floor. The Fabrication Machine screeched in rage, its reach just short of grabbing 9. The Spine Machine finally untangled itself and bit through the rope in one swift snap.

Immediately leaping to its feet, the Spine Machine dived towards 9. The stitchpunk was scrambling under the small space underneath the door. He was struggling frantically, pushing against the wood and straining. Finally, he was free from the small, suffocating crack, but just as he was pulling his right leg underneath the door, the Spine Machine sprang forward and snapped its jaws upon it.

He cried out in pain as the razor teeth scraped against his metal skeletal structure, cutting through the burlap as if it was melted butter. However, his body was jamming the doors, so the Machine couldn't open them or pull him back underneath the crack. 9 struggled frantically, grimacing as he pulled his leg through the fangs of the Machine. Finally, with one well-placed kick, 9 bent the tip of one of the teeth, causing the Machine to let go. He pulled his masticated leg out of the Spine Machine's grasp. He fell forward, but quickly got to his feet. He ran as fast as he could into the wasteland, stumbling as his leg seared terribly. He panted heavily, knowing the Machine was going to be right behind him. Looking all around, he then dove into a den of broken parts to a dead Machine, a Mech-Walker, it looked like.

The Spine Machine had easily followed him, and it stood right outside the den snarling loudly, searching for 9. He was trembling, curled up in the corner as far as he could get, trying to stay out of the Machine's line of sight.

The Spine Machine couldn't see him, for the newly attained injury corrupted its sensors. One of its eyes was cracked from where the insignificant little male had thrown a rock at it. It snarled, screeched and stepped roughly on the Mech-Walker. It crushed it and nearly pinned 9 to the ground, forcing him to lie on his back. The Machine surrendered for the time being. Snarling angrily, it turned away to retreat back to the Citadel. 9 stayed hidden, however, breathing heavily. He waited until he could no longer hear the metal footsteps of the Machine, his heart beating quickly and pain searing through his leg. He clutched his knee, wincing, and peered hesitantly out of the den.

The Machine was gone, away back to its lair and all was eerily quiet. Quickly, 9 climbed out of the den. He hastened away from the Citadel and into the rocky wilderness. He ran as fast as his injury would allow and he kept casting nervous glances over his shoulder.

9 then tripped suddenly and fell to his knees into the dust. He groaned softly as his leg seared in pain. 9 managed to sit up, and he looked at his maimed leg – two long slashes went across his leg. His metallic kneecap was shown through a rip in the rubber layering underneath his skin. 9 sighed wearily, knowing he was lucky to have escaped only with this injury. He looked up and pushed himself to his feet unsteadily. He took a deep breath and tried to limp through the wastelands, trying to find the others. 9 knew that he was lost, but he had to find the others. He had to warn them.

It seemed like hours past and his strength was quickly draining away. He wanted just to lie down right here in the open, but he knew that he was risking his life and the others lives as well. They didn't know what was out there now and he did. He needed to warn them and prepare them for the war that was sure to come soon. 9 had a feeling that it had already started.

The winds howled through the dusty badlands, thrashing at 9 unmercifully. He shielded his eyes with a hand, trying to make it through the wastelands. There was nothing of any importance surrounding him. Rocks stood, lonely and silent among the rubble from fallen buildings and wires and all things that stated war. Fields stretched all the way to the Barrens. It looked as if he was upon some sort of old battlefield. 9 blinked, feeling very frightened being out here in the Emptiness alone and injured. Darkness was swallowing the countryside as the sun began to retreat behind the distant hills.

9 tried to take another step forward, trying to continue his search. He staggered, weary, until his knees buckled underneath him and he collapsed into the dust. His leg ached severely and he was exhausted. All of his strength was drained away, and the darkness was enveloping his mind and dragging him under. 9 shook his head against the ground, trying to keep hold of his consciousness. He blinked slowly, his breathing labored.

He lifted his head from the ground and wearily looked around. He discovered a dented coffee can, the entry mostly concealed by a slab of wood. It was up against an old watchtower, looming over the battlefield. 9 blinked wearily, allowing his head to drop back against the ground, taking another shuddering breath.

"5…_5_…" he whispered softly, trying to call out to someone, anyone, but his call was no more than an unheard murmur. "5…7…_7_…"

9 knew that he could not hold on to his consciousness much longer. He needed to find shelter or risk being found out in the open. 9 managed to push himself to his feet. He staggered slowly and wearily towards the can, his ripped leg throbbing intensely. He walked into the canand then his injured leg finally gave way. He collapsed against the side of the tin, then slid to the bottom. He could no longer hold on. Breathing heavily, 9 lay on the bottom of the coffee tin, closing his eyes, passing out from the sheer exhaustion.

The night was quickly falling upon the country. The sun was setting rapidly, creating a shade of dusty grey-pink in the cloud-obscured sky. 9 was still unconscious, lying injured in the can, concealed away. He was completely oblivious of the voices outside.

"9!" 5 yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth as he walked through the Emptiness. His deep voice echoed into the distance, finally mingling with the forever silence.

"5, be quieter! The Beast will hear you!" 7 hissed. The warrior was stepping as quietly and cautiously as she could across the broken landscape. Her spear was clutched in her hands, skullmet pulled over her face protectively. She was ready for the new threat that was hunting them.

"Sorry." 5 said to her, voice lowered as she wished. The two were searching for 9, looking in every corner and fissure, calling his name, hopeful he would answer. However, they had ceased calling out once they reached the battlefield. They were afraid that their calling might attract the Spine Machine to them, or something even worse that they did not even know of.

"9?" 5 whispered as he ascended a hill of broken concrete rubble and looked into the building, an old human lookout of some sorts for the war. "Can you hear us?"

His voice only echoed off of the walls, reverberating and then finally languishing once more. 5's heart began to fall dreadfully as he received no answer from his best friend. Closing his eye, he saw a picture within his mind. The Spine Machine was running to the factory, where the Fabrication Machine was still alive and at full strength. They had not killed it, and the Spine Machine lifted a struggling 9 to its master. The Fabrication Machine roared in triumph as it grabbed 9 in one iron claw. The eerie green light from the talisman illuminated his face…and three deadly lights shot out towards him…

"7?" 5 asked softly to her. She turned and looked up at him.

"Yeah?" She asked hopefully. "Did you find him?"

"No." He choked out, fearful of the next words. "But what if we never do? What if he didn't escape?" 5 asked apprehensively, his hope of finding his best friend tapering greatly by the second, his heart falling. 7 didn't speak for a moment before turning away to continue looking, her fingers tightening around her spear.

"We can't think of the 'what ifs' at the moment. We need to concentrate on trying to find him." She said firmly, trying to distract 5, and her own heart, from believing that 9 was really dead. She wouldn't allow herself to believe so. She'd never relent in looking for him until she had absolute proof that he was gone.

5 frowned and sighed sadly. Jumping down from the building and beginning to follow 7, he was suddenly alert, stopping dead in his tracks. He heard a shuffling sound, and the sound of metal scraping against metal. Turning around sharply, he saw a large coffee can that was forced up against the wall – where the sound was coming from. 5 just knew that it was the Machine, hiding, stalking them, ready to pounce.

He quickly reached in his pack and swiftly mounted his crossbow with an arrow. Arming himself, he quietly crept towards the can. He didn't call to 7 to look out, afraid it might give him away to the Machine and it would attack. Leaning against the side of the can, he readied the crossbow. He inhaled and then jumped into the open, in front of the can, pointing the crossbow into the darkness, his finger on the trigger.

He froze, and slowly lowered his crossbow. Lying in front of him, sprawled out on his side, was 9, unconscious and injured.

"7!" He called across the way to her, uncaring if the Beast heard him. He was too ecstatic that his best friend was alive, even if barely. "7, I found him!"

7 turned to tell 5 to shut up for the second time, but saw 5 standing by 9's lifeless form. 7 couldn't help but sigh in relief and she immediately sprinted to where 5 was standing. 5 shoved his crossbow back into his pack, bending down and examining 9's torn leg. He placed a hand on his shoulder, the other on his chest. 5 could easily feel the faint beats of 9's heart. He brushed his fingers over 9's lips, feeling the flutter of his friend's breath, making sure he was still alive. 5 then gingerly touched the tears over 9's leg, grimacing.

"Oh buddy. We'd better get you home." He said softly. Suddenly, 9 shifted again, his copper fingers scraping alongside the metal covering of the coffee can, which was the sound that 5 heard, and he blinked his eyes open.

"Who's there…_5_?" He asked in disbelief, voice low and indistinct, lifting his head. His eyes weren't focused. He only saw the blurry outline of 5 over him.

"It's okay, it's me. We're gonna get you home." 5 said, giving his best friend a relieved smile, clutching his shoulder tightly. He _knew_ that the determined, intelligent stitchpunk would escape! He _knew_ he was alive!

"You didn't have to come after me." 9 said, smiling faintly at his best friend, still unable to see him clearly, dazed and weary. 5 grinned even wider, though he was quite worried. 9's words slurred and he wasn't focusing. He was extremely weak and needed to be healed as soon as possible.

"You would've done the same for me. We stick together, remember?" 5 said to 9, clasping one of his hands. 9 smiled even wider, which quickly turned into a grimace as his leg gave another shot of pain and he clutched it. Not wanting him to cause more damage to himself, 5 seized his wrists and laid them gently on the ground. 9 didn't protest, but lay limply, breathing heavily. 5 then turned as 7 entered the can.

"9, are you alright?" She asked firmly as she kneeled beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes at this touch and looked up at her in surprise.

"The Machine…what…where are…7, 5, are you okay?" He asked dazedly, trying to sit up, but failed at doing so. 7 pushed on his chest gently, stopping his attempt to sit erect.

"We're fine. Now stop moving, you'll hurt yourself even more." 7 said, gently holding him on the ground. 9 stared up at her, then at 5 for a moment. His head was slightly lifted, trying to stay awake. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it with a sigh. His eyes closed as he collapsed back to the metal ground once more. 9 passed out again, exhaustion overwhelming him. Before his head hit the ground, 7 caught it in her hands and gently lay him down. She looked worriedly at 5, keeping a hand on 9's chest, making sure he was still breathing. 5 sighed as he examined 9's leg once more.

"We've _got_ to get him home." He said gravely, and 7 looked at 9's injury. She bit her lower lip, hoping that 9 could just hang on for at least a few more hours, and she nodded to 5. Stepping around the unconscious male stitchpunk, she took hold of his wrist and placed his arm over her shoulder. 5 was taking 9 on his left side, and they stood, lifting 9. He remained deeply unconscious, his head bent to his chest. 7 and 5 ran out into the night, wanting to get him home, the stars now twinkling overhead in the inky black sky.


	11. Taking The Offensive

**Hey guys! Well, it's time to reveal the winner of my contest. The winner is: Demon Llama Nerd, with her submission of "Droplets!" Thanks to everyone who submitted, I loved all the suggestions. Well, my little droplets, commence with le reading! We get to see just how the coven reacts to the Spine Machine and the Fabrication Machine. **

**On a side note, the Spine Machine does, indeed, look a bit like a Velociraptor. It's more meant to look like a wingless dragon. Within a week or so, I'll have a picture posted on the DA for reference. Go check it out! **

**~Raindrops to all, Cel**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Taking the Offensive**

It was the afternoon of the next day when 9 finally regained consciousness again.

Reality crashed upon him like a wave. The searing, throbbing pain in his leg was gone, replaced only by a dull ache. He opened his eyes slowly, taking a deep breath. It was very dark around the corners of his optics and it rendered him blind. He blinked, refocusing his lenses. The darkness immediately disappeared, replaced by a dull light from an unknown source. 9 breathed slowly, blinking again, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. Everything was unfamiliar.

9 lifted his head slowly, realizing that he was lying on his back. He surveyed the space around him, his aching mind whirling with the events of the past night. He immediately saw 5 sitting nearby on a bobbin, anxiously waiting for his awakening. The one-eyed stitchpunk was staring at his hands, looking very worried. His crossbow was propped next to him, armed with an arrow, ready to defend its owner and his coven.

"5?" 9 asked wearily, allowing his head to slump back against a soft material beneath him. Weariness still clouded his mind, and he could no longer hold his head up. He closed his eyes and sighed again.

"9, you're awake! Oh, thank goodness!" 5 cried out, hearing 9 whisper his name. "2, he's awake." 5's voice called out to the elder stitchpunk. 9 kept his eyes closed, exhausted. He didn't see his friend get up or yell to 2, wherever he was. 9 struggled to stay awake, a rush of weakness overcoming his body. Before he passed out again, 9 struggled to sit up in the cot he was lying on. However, the Spine Machine's attack had weakened him greatly and he was unable to sit up. 5 rushed over to his bedside and put a hand on his back, lifting him to a sitting position on the side of the cot. 9 rubbed the back of his head and then lifted his right knee, examining his leg. It was healed, sown back together with a color of thread that nearly matched 9's tan skin color.

"This is the second time you've had to stitch me back up." 9 said, laughing wearily, now kneading his brow, trying to rid himself of the dreadful pounding of his head.

"I'd do it however many times you need it, 9. That's what we do for each other." 5 replied, putting an arm gently around his shoulders. He was very relieved that 9 was alright.

"Thanks." 9 said, smiling up at him. "How long have I been out?"

"About a day, give or take a few hours." 5 replied, going to pick up the needle he had used to heal 9 from the floor. He put it into his pack, lying against the cracked plaster wall. A small, glimmering light filled the vicinity and 2 hobbled in, supported by his cane. The light 9 saw was coming from the small and flickering flame on the wick of a candle. It was situated in his top hat that 9 constructed for him (he had tinkered with it, and now it looked much more like his original). His golden eyes, behind his lorgnette, lit up happily upon seeing that 9 was finally conscious.

"Ah, m'boy! Smashing! Thank goodness you're finally awake. 5 and I were rather worried about you." 2 laughed joyfully, coming over to 9 and patting his shoulder. Stooping down, his knees shaking with old age, the elder closely examined the stitching on his healed leg.

"Quite nice work, 5. Very well done. You've learned well." 2 complimented, standing back up slowly and smiling at his eldest student.

"Oh…well…I've had a great teacher, y'know." 5 said, looking at his feet, embarrassed. 2 smiled even wider. 9 sighed, shaking his still-aching head.

"Where are we? Is everyone okay?" He asked them tiredly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Do not worry, lad. Everyone's fine." 2 consoled him, patting his shoulder. "You gave us quite a scare. But I knew you had the fortitude and pluckiness to fight off that Beast! Good for you, boy." 2 said, grinning with a twinkle in his eye. However, 9 did not smile back, or show one ounce of joy. Instead, he stood to his feet.

"Where are you going?" 5 asked him, raising his brow. 9 struggled to keep his balance as he immediately felt like the world was spinning around him. He wobbled, nearly falling backwards. 5 was immediately there, holding his best friend up with his large hands. "Whoa, whoa. Maybe you need to rest a little longer. 9 shook his head furiously, gently pushing 5 away.

"No. I need to see 1. Where is he?" 9 asked them, searching each worried face. 2 and 5 shared a fleeting apprehensive glance.

"Come on, I'll show you," 5 said, sensing 9's anxiety and the two walked through a crumbling building. It was not house, nor cathedral, but a dull, collapsing wooden structure. It was almost like a small shop. 9 walked through each hallway, trying not to limp in front of 5. He didn't see any of the others, and that made him all the more anxious, although 2 told him everyone made it here safely.

1 was sitting by a window in a large room, leaning on his staff, books surrounding him, the one he was using to rest on sporting a deep, blood-red cover. He was rubbing his temple jadedly, looking older than ever.

"1!" 9 called, running up to him, ignoring the slight throbbing of his leg. 1 turned, his eyes narrowed as he saw the young man and he stood, meeting 9 halfway through the room.

"1, there is something…" 9 said breathlessly, but 1 cut him off.

"I had thought you had brought us back to a safe world. I thought we were free to carry out our lives the way it was intended to be." He growled, furious, the anger radiating off of him. 9 blinked, slightly taken aback at 1's fury.

"I know 1. I'm sorry. I-I didn't know." 9 said, uneasily looking at the floor, then back at 1, "But there is a much more serious thing going on here..."

"Like what," 1 snarled, cutting him off once more, "a Beast coming and destroying yet _another_ home of ours?"

"1, listen to me! The thing that got me stole the talisman, and it fixed the Machine! It fixed the Beast and the Machine!" 9's voice echoed throughout the silent room, shocking those in it to silence. 9 continued urgently. "I think it's coming after us. We need a plan, or – or something to defeat the Machine beast. I think we need to find some sort of…" 9 said, his mind whirling, trying to rapidly think of a plan to rid his coven of the monsters. However, 1 wasn't listening at all. He seemed to snarl like the Spine Machine and he knocked 9 to the floor with his staff. He towered over the startled younger ragdoll, his eyes filled with wrath and hate.

"You've damned us all! What are we supposed to do now!? You _fool_!" 1 yelled to 9, who recoiled a bit. 1 had been furious with him before, but he had never struck him. 5 reached forward to help 9, but the younger ragdoll gently waved him off.

"1, please listen…I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to take me…I didn't know about the Machine beast!" 9 pleaded, getting to his feet, but 1 turned away, his cape brushing 9's side.

"Ever since you awoke, you've ruined us. Everything unraveled, because of you and your witless ideas. And now, we're all in danger again! I've tried everything, Lord knows I've tried. But what now, hmm? We're now trapped, we have nowhere to hide and become safe, wait it out as we did last time. We would have been alright if _you_ hadn't come along." 1 suddenly whipped around, staring at 9.

"I should have done this long ago. I should have, the very first moment you started to question my authority. I should have banished you the first chance I got. Well now…better late than never." 1 scowled, stepping towards 9 once more. The younger man's heartbeat quickened at these furious words. His face was mere inches from 1's as the older man spoke threateningly.

"Get out. Leave us all be, you curse, you fool. We are not going to put up with you and your 'heroic deeds' any longer. I will not lose any of us at your expense. _Get out_." 1 said, low and threatening, his eyes gleaming maliciously. 5 gasped, taking a step back in shock. 9 froze, blinking at 1, the words unraveling in his mind one by one.

"Are you daft? Leave, I said!" 1 yelled, pointing out of the room with his staff, then thumping it against the floor in extreme agitation. 9 took a step backwards, not knowing of what to do. Dismay crashed over him like a tidal wave and he suddenly felt much weaker than he had when he came around. He felt like a small, helpless child, lost without parents or guardians, unknowing what to do in a huge, harsh world…

"1, you can't…he brought us back! He didn't know, it's not his fault! You're not going to exile him! You can't!" 5 pleaded, standing by 9, protectively taking his shoulders and pulling 9 close. It was as if he was meekly daring 1 to come any closer to them. 9's breaths became shallow and sharp, terror overwhelming him. His mind could process nothing but the words 1 had just yelled to him.

"Brought us back to a dangerous world, you mean!" 1 yelled at 5, his faded brows pulling together and making a deep fold in his forehead.

"B-But we need him! He's the one who saved us in the first place, he freed us!" 5 exclaimed, becoming just as apprehensive as 9 was at the moment. 9 was merely staring at the ground, his eyes wide and his figure wilted. 5 seemed to be holding him up.

"Only after you, I, and the others died. And we were never really free." 1 contradicted, taking a step towards the two younger males. 5 frowned at 1, becoming angry.

"If it wasn't for him, we'd still be trapped in the Machine, and maybe even 7, 3 and 4 wouldn't even be alive by this time!" 5 snapped, brow furrowed. 9 looked up at him, surprised by 5's determination.

"3 and 4 are mere _children_! And 7 is near as much trouble as he is." 1 snapped, pointing at 9. "We were fine without them before he came! And we'll be fine again once he leaves."

"9 has saved us on more than one occasion! We need him. I-I won't let you!" 5 yelled at him. He pulled 9 to the side, almost standing in front of him. 1 paused, seething at 5's challenge, when 2, 6, 8, the twins and 7 walked into the room, attracted by the sudden noise of loud and angry voices.

"What is going on?" 7 demanded, looking from a fuming 1, to a desperate 5, to a dismal, shocked 9.

"1 is trying to exile 9! He's trying to make him leave!" 5 said to her, his voice becoming desperate as he held 9's shoulders even tighter. 7 inhaled angrily, her lips pursed together, her brow knitting even tighter and she stepped up to 1, her fists tightening. 1 stood his ground against her.

"How dare you! If it weren't for 9, we wouldn't even be here, and what we were entrusted with would just be jeopardized!" 7 said, her fist tightening around her spear as she held it in front of her. 1 scoffed, unfazed by the female's threats.

"And what were we entrusted with, 7?" He snarled.

"The Scientist created us to carry on the life. He entrusted us with a mission." 9 spoke now, trying his hardest to keep his voice firm. He was standing by himself now, yet 5 still held tightly to his shoulder.

"A mission we can't afford to abandon." 7 finished, staring heatedly at 1, who searched each face: 2, the twins, 5 and 6 looked horrified at the thought of 9 leaving them. 8 walked up to stand by 1, obviously ready to enforce 1's words. 1 scoffed, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Fine. I will let him stay, but if any of us die because of you…" 1 growled, stepping up to 9. He didn't finish the sentence, but 8 did when he pounded his fist into his palm, growling. 9 bowed his head, closed his eyes and nodded. 1 scoffed and stepped away from him. 9 turned, wrenched himself out of 5's grasp and ran out of the room. 2 and 6 parted to let him through, looking on in surprise. 5 took a step forward to follow his best friend, but was stopped as 7 held her hand up to stop him. The two shared a quick look as 7 sprinted out of the room, following 9. 1 sat back on the book, while 8 roughly ushered them all out of the room.

* * *

9 sat outside, looking out to the horizon. His recently mended heart was tearing itself into even smaller pieces. He sighed, lifted his hands, and covered his eyes with his fists.

1 was right. He had caused them so much grief, strife and pain, he should have been exiled. Then he couldn't hurt them anymore. They had helped their coven and all _he _did was cause more misery…

"9," 7 said as she joined him. He didn't even look her way, ashamed, expecting her to rebuke him for bringing back their coven to a deadly world. Instead, she bent down before him and seized his wrists, taking his hands away from his eyes. She unraveled his fingers and took his hands, applying a gentle pressure.

"We're moving on to try and throw the Machine beast off of our trail. Come on." She said gently, knowing exactly how he was feeling, and he sighed, getting up. Now she must truly hate him.

"7, I'm so sorry, I didn't know…I had no idea…I…" he said, then sighed again, words failing him. 7 squeezed his hands tightly, trying her best to reassure him.

"We'll be fine, now come on." 7 said, gently, brushing his apology aside, and the two walked across the building to join the others.


	12. Practice Is Everything

**Hullo my droplets! This is a pretty standard, calm chapter. "The calm before the storm," as I like to say. Keep reading and reviewing, as I'm loving each and every one! Thanks to all my avid readers, so keep on reading! **

**~Raindrops to all, Cel**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Practice Is Everything**

The stitchpunk group walked slowly and silently across the barren badlands. Nobody said a word, listening and watching intently for the Machine. 7 and 9 were scouting ahead together, searching for any signs that the Machines were stalking them close by. There was nothing they could see so far, and all was quiet. This truly was a war, and the ragdolls were on enemy lands, waiting for the first strike…

9 stopped walking for a moment, eyes on the ground in curiosity.

"Wait," he called, and 7 stopped, turning to look at him, brows raised in question. He reassured her by waving his hand, sticking the light staff in the ground. He stooped down and picked up something in his left hand. 9 examined the object for a moment, turning it over in his hands. He had found a large fountain pen, roughly the same size as 7's spear. The handle was a deep mahogany color. The ink nib was large, much larger than 6's own ink nib fingers. The silver tip had fractured in a way where it was pointed in a blade and the tip was razor sharp. 9 took the pen in his fist, weighing it. It was very light, easy to handle and carry, but heavy enough to where he could do some real damage. The male stitchpunk then turned to see 7 staring at him curiously.

"I can't fight with a light bulb." He said, shrugging. 7 smiled at him, amused. He couldn't help but smile back, once again caught in that spell of her beauty and charm. Why, though…? Suddenly, 7 became very apprehensive. In an instant, she was in the stance of a warrior, her skullmet pulled over her eyes, her spear held out in front of her. It was clear that she was intuitively startled, sensing something nearby.

9 snapped back into reality, listening as well. He kept his eyes on 7, however, waiting for any instruction. He knew her senses were much keener than his. After a few moments, 7 seemed to decide on something. Her fingers twitched on the staff and she hissed in frustration as she straightened.

"Come on, we'd better go back to the others." 7 said quietly, and she led the way, clearly aggravated at this decision to go back to the others. 9 followed behind her, not questioning her resolution. He knew a key point of being a community was to trust one another. He trusted 7 with his life. His own fingers tightened on the light staff and the pen blade, giving him some comfort in knowing that he could defend his coven now.

They soon reached the others, who were grouped together a few yards away. They looked up at the two as they arrived into the small clearing. 3 and 4, who were huddled behind 5, flashed questioningly up to them. 7 quickly approached 1.

"There's a safe path ahead. We must move." She told him, her voice a low murmur. The old war veteran nodded silently and 7 took the lead, the coven following closely behind her. The twins approached 5 and 6 and took their hands, shaking with fright. Too young to be soldiers…too small to be in war…

5 shushed 3 comfortingly, stroking his shoulders in reassurance. 6 looked surprised, but patted the small stitchpunk's hood gently. 4 huddled closer into his striped body.

"Any sign of the Machines?" 2 asked 7 softly as he approached her, stifling the flame within his top hat. 7 shook her head, still annoyed. Her instinct told her to find any Machine she could and kill it. But this wasn't the apt time for rash decisions.

"No, none." She said, voice still low. She was silent for a moment, then asked 9, "9, where is their lair? Where did they take you?"

"To some sort of citadel, with a tall clock tower in the middle. It's a while from where we are." 9 answered, voice lowered as well. He pointed in the general direction of the citadel tower. 7 looked like she was deliberating on something.

"We need to get the talisman back. That's our first priority." She said to the group, turning to face them.

"What? And just serve ourselves to the Machines?" 1 hissed, narrowing his sinister eyes. But 9 immediately realized what she was saying.

"7's right. They won't want to kill us directly, not while we still have our souls The only way the Machine can certainly kill us is with the talisman. We need to get it back." 9 agreed. "The Machine beast awakened it with this glowing blue orb, in its chest. This orb – it's like the Machine beast's power source, and when it cut it in half, it woke the Machine." 9 explained.

"Then _why_ would it need the talisman?" 1 said, deeply incredulous.

"I don't think an orb could suck out our souls." 7 snapped at him, annoyed at 1 for (once again) demeaning 9. However, the latter walked on, ignoring 1.

"Yes. And the Machine beast got very weak when it gave half of the orb to the Machine, and it seemed not to like it. But it could reattach it to the other half. It's like they're two halves of a whole and can separate. The Machine beast needs the whole orb, or else it won't be able to fight. It won't be strong enough." 9 continued, shaping the orb with his hands. The others stared at him in apprehension, still moving on through enemy lands, still following the lead of the warrior.

"Why did the Machine beast come? _Where _did it come from?" 5 asked softly, obviously worried.

"I don't know." 9 said, rubbing the side of his head, furrowing his brows. He vaguely remembered himself asking 1 the very same questions, what seemed like so long ago. "But we need to figure out how we're going to get the talisman back, before it comes after us." 9 said. "The Machine uses the newcomer and the Beast as a sort of scout, because it's still weak. It needs further repairs."

"We'll need to figure out how to kill them." 7 said, and 9 nodded once more.

"And then we'll get the talisman back…and we'll figure out how to destroy the Machine." He replied quietly, looking out ahead of him, his mind whirling with plans to kill them, each as outlandish as the last...

"Then we must start heading towards the citadel." 7 said, leaping onto a small pile of debris, pointing in the same direction 9 had. They all looked up at her, nodding. 9, however, merely stared at 7's figure, standing tall against the near-black grey sky, fine, dauntless, and proud. She then took the lead once more, walking in the same way. It took 9 a moment to gather his head once more and follow her, trying to force his heart to slow down.

"Where are we going to hide tonight?" 5 asked worriedly, 3's hand tightening around his in fright.

"Yes. Where will we hide? We cannot keep walking all night long to the Citadel. We shall be so weak the next day, the Machines will easily pick us off one by one." 1 snarled, 8 nodding behind him, enforcing his words. Both twins cringed at this, shaking even more so. 5 cast 1 a caveat look, angry at him for scaring his small brothers.

9 looked around the area, knowing that 1 was right. He spotted a cabin a few yards away, atop a hill, surrounded by dead, decaying trees.

"We can use that." He said. It was a large cabin, two stories in height and virtually concealed, although broken in places, jagged planks around the openings. The stitchpunks rushed towards it, trying to stay oblivious to the Machines, unbeknownst of the Cat Beast, who was watching them. The Beast snarled from its perch, stalking them, ready to pounce that night, while they were unaware…

* * *

The night quickly dawned over the country. Inside the cabin, the stitchpunks sat close together, gathering their energy for the journey as well as the battles that were very sure to come. The twins scurried around, excitedly cataloguing the different objects that littered the wooden cabin. 2 tinkered with some loose scraps as 5 watched curiously. 1 sat a few ways away from the others, clearly distant from the others. 7 was in the middle of the room, her blade swiping through the air. Small grunts and yells were heard from her as she flipped and pretended her spear was slashing through a Machine's neck. Her battle skills needed to be in top condition for the battles to commence – after all, she hadn't had the need to battle anything for three months.

9 sat next to 5, deftly working away. He had gathered different scraps and materials around the many rooms of the cabin. 9's brow was furrowed in concentration as he crafted the weapon on his lap. If he was going to defend his coven, he was going to make sure the weapon he wielded was good enough to kill a Machine. He wrapped a band of light brown leather around the middle of the pen. Leather was a good material to make sure his metal fingers didn't slip on the handle. Another strap of leather lay beside him, already fixed with a metal buckle that he could use to keep the light staff or the pen blade strapped to his back. A sharp piece of rock also lay beside him, ready to sharpen the point of the pen. Suddenly, the tip of 7's blade touched the point of 9's. He looked up at her in confusion, brows raised. 7 stood before him, smirking slightly.

"If you're going to fight, you need to actually learn how. These things are harder to kill than it actually looks. C'mon." 7 said, beckoning to the center of the room. 9 got to his feet, clutching the pen blade in his hand and following 7, his heart pounding from excitement. He and 7 faced one another, spears pointing proudly towards the other.

"First thing's first. Balance is key to everything. You lose your balance, you die. Simple as that. It's all about how you find your center. Like this…" 7's battle advice continued on for hours, well into the night. She helped 9 find his balance, as the young male was always somewhat inept. Although he achieved a good balance, he never reached the gracefulness of 7. After that, she slowly taught him the footwork of battle, where exactly to step, when to dodge, and how to sidestep the enemy and drive a blade into its neck. She showed him the movements he needed to make in his shoulders, arms, hands, and wrists. Each movement was critical in battle and needed to be spot-on. 9 picked it up quite quickly and soon had a smooth, deadly flow to the strokes he performed at the imaginary beasts.

Then, 7 declared it was time for 9 to fight her directly. He was quite startled and nervous towards that aspect. At first, he had tried to back out of it, unable to wrap his mind around fighting his best friend.

"Sev, no. I couldn't possibly. What if I hurt you? There will be plenty of opportunities as we get to the Citadel. But I can't fight you." 9 said, taking a few steps backwards towards where the others were sitting. They had been watching as 9 learned the techniques of battle. He picked things up quite quickly and was becoming quite a formidable foe. 7 immediately refused 9's attempt at chivalry. She approached him rather aggressively, grabbing his blade and pulling him in close.

"9, if you don't know what you're doing, you're dead. Besides, if anyone is going to get hurt, it's _you_. But don't worry. I won't let it happen." 7 reassured him with a wink. 9 blinked and opened his mouth, trying to find something to say. Instead 7 turned away from him and walked back to the center of the room. 9 sighed, defeated. He couldn't argue with 7, as she was absolutely right. The Machines would be relentless in hunting them down. He walked back to the center of the room also, gripping his pen blade tightly

The next hour or so was spent with 7 defeating 9 almost every single time. Despite their situation, the others had to keep their hands over their mouths to keep from laughing. Poor 9. Not only was he still not quite that good at direct battle, but he obviously couldn't bear to strike the young woman. Every time he slashed the blade at her, he either backed away or dropped it completely, resulting in 7 knocking him off his feet and pinning him to the ground. However, as 9 gained the confidence he needed after a few good connections with 7's blade, the two soon looked like they were engaged in a real battle. 9 dodged, 7 blocked. The clang of blades echoed throughout the room as the two danced around each other.

Suddenly, 9 knocked 7's blade out of her hands and sideswiped her with his foot, knocking her to the floor. He leapt up and she found herself looking into the razor-sharp edge of 9's blade. He looked shocked but triumphant, as he had actually beaten the greatest warrior the world had probably ever known. 9 threw the blade to the ground, still shocked at what he had done and reached for 7. She took his outstretched hand and he helped her to her feet. 7 beamed with pride, offering 9 a wide smile as she patted his shoulder.

"You're ready. Good job." She said and 9 could feel his cheeks growing warmer. He smiled his familiar crooked smile back at her. The other stitchpunks all smiled and smirked at one another while the twins doubled over in silent giggled. 9 then bent down and picked up the pen blade.

"Guess I'd better take watch." He said before turning away from the others and heading to the roof, wishing the heat in his face would disappear.

* * *

The night quickly dawned on London and the ragdoll coven. While the others rested inside the cabin, 9 sat on the wooden, cracking roof, keeping lookout. His eyes silently scanned the landscape, looking for the familiar red lights of the Beast's eyes, listening for the slightest movement. He held the pen blade in his hands, ready. Way off in the distance, the small pinpricks of lights came from the five guards, the Seekers, whom the Fabrication Machine had found, dead in the debris and repaired them. 9 sighed softly. Would they ever become safe…?

"Hey," a voice behind him said. 9 turned to see 5 climbing up to join him.

"Are you okay?" The older ragdoll asked him as he sat beside him, and he nodded silently, turning to stare back at the citadel, so far off in the distance.

"You don't seem okay." 5 said quietly, easily reading the desolation in 9's face. 9 sighed before answering.

"I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to bring you back to a world that wasn't safe. I…I just – I missed you. And I felt that if you guys were trapped, I could fix my mistake by bringing you back," he said softly and slowly, the words getting caught within his throat. "But now, we're all running and hiding again, trapped in another war." 9 finished with a fierce voice, clenching his fists and looking at his knees. 5 looked at the roof for a moment, contemplating these words, then looked at 9.

"It's gonna be okay. We made it through one war, we will all make it through this one. Besides, I'll always forgive you. What would we have done without you?" He asked, grasping 9's shoulder. 9 gave him a faint smile, but as 5 made to say something else, 9 quickly shushed him, startled.

"Listen," he said, looking on the horizon, in every crevice and gap. He almost immediately saw the glowing red light of the Cat Beast, peering out from behind a tree. Their eyes met and the Cat Beast snarled, bristling. It was coming for them…

"We've got to warn the others." 9 said quickly, and he and 5 jumped down through the roof.


	13. The Fall Out

**Hey, my droplets! Here is another chapter for you! Again, I thank you all for your kind reviews. The feedback is really helping out! Finally, here's a good, long-awaited action chapter with our (or my, rather) three favorite stitchpunks! **

**~Cel**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: The Fall Out**

The two stitchpunks quickly ran down to the first floor. They carefully navigated their way through the shattered rafters, down the stairs and into what appeared to be the drawing room of the cabin. This is where the others were. They were sitting, restlessly pacing, or comforting the twins, who looked very frightened.

"Guys! Everyone, it's the Beast!" 9 cried as seven heads snapped up at their arrival.

"It's found us?" 7 yelled, jumping to her feet and 9 nodded.

"5, 7, get everyone out to a safe place. I'll distract it." 9 quickly said, nodding at the two. "We can't let it get back to the Machines – it'll lead them straight to us."

"No, 9, no! You can't, not on your own…" 5 began, but 9 cut him off quickly.

"5, there's no time. Don't worry, I have a plan," he said, before turning away and running upstairs as fast as his legs could carry him. He only had a short amount of time to prepare his plan. 5 looked worriedly after him as he and 7 hurried everyone out of the house.

Meanwhile, 9 was busily tying a rope around a sharp plank suspended in the rafters of the cabin's attic. There were only a few planks suspended over the first floor, two stories below, where it seemed a large missile or explosion had impaled it. On the other end, a large book stood erect. 9 finished the task with skilled fingers and ran down to the first floor again. It was empty, and he was relieved to see that 5 and 7 had hidden them away.

9 hid behind a wall, running through the plan one last time. His thoughts were interrupted as the Beast crashed through the door, sending splinters flying every other which way. 9 pressed himself against the wall as he listened to the Cat Beast tearing through the cabin, wildly snarling. It was looking for the stitchpunks. They must be in here somewhere, hiding like little cowards. It roared in frustration as it continued to destroy the cabin. Boards and splintered wood hurtled past 9. He inhaled, knowing this was his one and only chance, and jumped out from behind the wall.

"Hey! Over here!" He yelled at the Cat Beast, who immediately snapped to look at him. He stood upon the flight of stairs, ready to lead it up to the broken attic. The Beast snarled, a terrible sound, and raced up towards 9. He began to scramble up the steps, trying to avoid the gaping holes. The Cat Beast easily caught up with him, and halfway up the flight of stairs, it raised a claw and slashed across the air at 9. The only thing that enabled 9 to survive it was that, at that moment, the left foreleg of the Beast crashed through the wooden plank and the claw didn't hit the mark correctly. 9 was slammed against the wall. However, he shook his head and got to his feet, racing up the steps.

The Cat Beast pulled itself out of the step, shattering it, and pursued 9 across the second floor. 9 just managed to evade the Beast and clambered up a bookcase onto the attic's planks. The Cat Beast's claws missed him by mere centimeters. 9 jumped onto the thin, creaking boards, trying to keep his balance. The Beast nearly landed on top of him as it leapt onto the rafters. The board shook, nearly throwing 9 to the floor below. He tried to hang on, but then the Beast raised a claw over the ragdoll. 9 tried to get to his feet and escape, but the Beast was too swift. The claws tore through the air and a jarring pain swept through 9's body as he was hurtled through the air. He hit a particularly sharp plank very hard. He clawed at the plank, skidding along it. He finally managed a strong grip on the very end, his body dangling in midair.

9 froze, petrified, trying not to lose his grip. He looked over his shoulder, seeing how far below the ground was. The fall alone would have crippled, or even killed him. Gathering his strength, 9 tried to pull himself back onto the board – and then the Cat Beast leapt onto it. 9 flinched, trying to keep his hold on the lath. The Beast extended a claw, ready to capture him. However, the plank groaned and bent downwards. The Cat Beast yowled and sprang back, staring at the hole, realizing the danger. 9 knew that he hand to get back onto the rafters, or else the plan wouldn't work.

Suddenly, the Cat Beast got a horrible gleam in its eye. It looked down at 9, snarling softly. Then, it lifted a clawed paw, right over the plank. 9 saw it then – a large crack across the base of the lath. He gasped, realizing what the Beast was going to do. It was going to break the plank, sending him falling into the hole…

"Hey, over here! HERE, you big, ugly kitty-cat!" 5's voice rang out. 9 gasped sharply, startled. He strained to see up to the rafters and saw 5 on the buttress of the attic. A stone hit the Cat Beast in the side of the head and it snarled at 5. He continued throwing multiple stones from various rubble piles at the Beast. The Beast left 9 alone and went instead for 5. 5's face fell as he realized how quickly it was coming for him and he exclaimed in fright. He tried to escape, but the Beast was much too swift. It raised a claw and brought it down on 5. It roared above him, ready to snap his jaws upon him and bring him back to the Master.

5 covered his head with an arm, the other trapped underneath his chest. 9 struggled up onto the plank. He got to his feet, looking around wildly for something to save 5. He then whirled around and found a piece of fallen lumber beside him. He picked it up and with as much strength as he could summon, he threw it at the Beast. It knocked off of the rock-hard skull. It didn't hurt the monster, but it did distract it.

"It's me you want! COME OVER HERE! Leave him alone, come and get ME!" 9 yelled at it. The Cat beast snarled, and much to 9's horror, scooped 5 up within its jaws and bounded over to where 9 was standing. 9 braced himself…

The rafter underneath the Cat Beast suddenly snapped, and it plummeted through the hole. 5 was thrown into the air as the Cat Beast scrabbled at the wood, trying to lift itself up. 5's cry was heard as he too crashed through the unstable rafters. 5's fingers clamped onto the edge, but he was slipping.

While the Cat Beast was distracted with trying to save its life, 9 rushed past it and ran to 5.

"9! 9, help!" The older ragdoll cried, slipping further and further away. 9 immediately fell to his knees and reached out, trying to grab 5's hand.

"C'mon, reach! 5, grab my hand, C'MON!" He yelled. 5 reached for 9's outstretched hand, straining, when the wood gave way to his weight and snapped. 5 cried out as he fell. 9's hand was merely a blurred shape as it flew through the air and his fingers wrapped around 5's. 9 braced himself against the wood and pulled up as 5 hung precariously over the floor far below. The two finally managed to scramble up on the plank, but the Cat Beast was right behind them, ready to strike…

Suddenly, a piece of wood hit the Beast's shoulder and it turned, hissing in annoyance as it was struck again by rubble. 7 was rushing it, thrusting her spear into the same shoulder the wood hit. It shrieked in pain and tried to hook her with its razor claws. Hanging onto her spear embedded in the Cat Beast's shoulder, 7 tried to dodge the flailing claws, trying to climb onto the back of the Beast. 5 and 9 stared in horror, 9 pushing 5 firmly in the direction of the buttress.

The Cat Beast overpowered 7 for one second. As she tried to mount its back, her foot slipped on the struggling body and it managed to hook its claws into the fabric of her right side. She cried out in pain and it flung her off of its back. She flew through the air, colliding hard with the wall of the roof. A loud groan of pain was heard as she landed badly on the buttress. She lay, motionless and silent.

"No! 7!" 9 cried, and the Cat Beast turned to look for 5, who had disappeared in the commotion. 9's mind was whirling as he stood frozen, thoroughly overwhelmed. 7 was hurt! She wasn't getting back up. And 5 had disappeared in the commotion. He couldn't have fallen…

He suddenly saw 5 waving frantically to him, hidden behind a large stone. 9 unfroze himself and joined 5 behind a slab of rock while the Beast's back was turned. He tried to keep his head, hoping and praying that 7 was okay. She had to be…

He kneeled beside 5, who was trembling violently.

"9, I'm so sorry. I tried to get away, I was just trying to help. I'm so sorry," 5 cried, his hands shaking violently. 9 took his hands to try and calm him.

"Listen 5, I'm going to lure it to me, and then I'll knock the book off," he pointed to the book, still propped upon the rafter, "and it'll be killed as it falls."

"But 9…I can't let you just run out there alone," 5 began, his eye growing wide. 9 hushed him hurriedly, becoming impatient.

"Damn it 5, listen to me. We need to kill it, or the Machine will find us. Trust me." He hissed, staring into the single eye of the older stitchpunk. 5 nodded in understanding, his whole body trembling.

"Just make sure it doesn't go for her," he said, pointing at 7's silent, inert body. 5 nodded in anguish, his fears the same as 9's. 9 rushed out into the open, madly waving his arms, yelling to attract the Beast's attention. The Cat Beast snarled as soon as it saw him and chased him around the rafters. Each time it tried to knock 9 off of the rafters, 9 would jump to another lath. The claws always missed him by mere inches. 9 led it onto the plank he'd nearly fallen off of. He ran to the end, then turned around to face the Cat Beast. It hissed loudly, thinking it had him cornered and without an escape. 5 stayed out of sight, peeking out of his hiding place ever so slightly, keeping his eye on both 7 and 9. The Cat Beast reached for 9, but the plank nearly gave way underneath their weight. Growling, the monster continued to step forward, ready to slice through 9 and knock him to his death. However, 9 stayed just out of its reach, and no matter how hard it strained, it couldn't touch him.

9 smiled and jumped to the plank next to the one the Cat Beast was now on, alone. 9 rammed his shoulder into the heavy book, thrusting it off. The Cat Beast realized what was going on as the book fell and jerked on the string. It snarled and tried to climb up the plank to safety, but the plank smacked it in the face. The Cat Beast plummeted to the first floor with a deafening crash, it's hissing filling the air. The sharp end of the plank impaled it through its chest with a dull thud. The red eye lost its deadly glow as the monster died almost immediately, the hisses cutting off sharply. 9 peered down at it for only half a second, confirming the Cat Beast's certain death as the dust rose, before rushing over to 7, who was still lying lifelessly on the floor.

"7!" He cried, falling to his knees beside her. His hands trembled as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. He turned her to his side, holding her head tenderly in his other hand. Her eyes were closed tightly and she was completely limp in his arms. 9 gave a strangled gasp. 5 watched, petrified, unable to move towards them.

"7, wake up, please wake up. It couldn't have killed you – you've been through worse than this. C'mon, wake up!" He pleaded with her, a note of hysteria in his young voice. He gave her a small shake. She didn't respond. She wasn't even breathing. Shock overwhelmed 9 as he continued to try and wake her. This couldn't have happened. It couldn't have possibly killed her!

9 stared at her, his lower lip trembling. His breathing began to become shallow as he bent even closer to her, trying to wake her. "_No_…7, please wake up…" he begged her, bending towards her, holding her closer. 9 cradled her still body in his arms. She didn't stir and his heart fell. The Cat Beast could have managed the final victory. It could have finally slain its enemy. It had taken her from him forever. 9 bent his head, wrapping his arms around her and closing his eyes in grief, wishing that, somehow, this wasn't real.

Suddenly, 7's chest rose and she began to cough hard. 9's eyes snapped open and he looked down at her. Her chest rose and fell with each strenuous breath of life she took. 9 allowed a deep sigh of vast relief to escape him as he bent over her, still holding her in his arms.

"T-thought you guys might n-need some help." She said lightly past the coughs. 9 gave a weak laugh, seeing that she wasn't gone. She was alive.

He clutched her tightly, holding her very closely, but then realized what he was doing. He immediately withdrew in embarrassment at this sudden, unintentional action. 7, however, reached up and wrapped her left arm around his shoulders, burying her face into his neck, her fingers digging into his back. Her right arm was lying limply across her chest. 9's face grew warm, but he relented, throwing all humiliation to the winds and hugged 7 back, feeling as if he had never been more relieved. 5 laughed in relief, coming out from behind the slab to join them.

"7…" 9 began, but he trailed off, his horror increasing. The sound of creaking and groaning wood reached him and he looked down at where they were sitting. The wooden floor was beginning to crack right underneath them. The Cat Beast had torn the fragile, weak cabin apart with its claws and it couldn't hold up any longer.

"We've got to get out of here, come on guys!" 5 cried. 9 helped 7 up to her feet, keeping an arm around her. The three ran to the edge of the buttress, going to the bookcase. The cabin began to groan and sway. The bookcase teetered, about to fall over. It was the only way the three stitchpunks could get down from the rafters. If they jumped, they could be killed.

5 leapt onto the top of the bookcase, then reached up for 7. 9 helped her from the rafters into 5's arms. 9 followed 7 onto the bookcase. Suddenly, it began to sway, making the three lose their balance. It began to fall to the floor. 9 saw what was happening and grabbed 7 around the waist. He gathered her in his arms, then threw her onto the buttress behind the bookcase. It wasn't cracked or falling. 9 wanted to make sure she'd be safe. He didn't know if he was going to survive the fall or not. He took 5's hand and tried to get him onto the buttress, but it was too late. The bookcase groaned and leaned forward. 9 and 5 desperately scrambled along the top, trying to avoid being crushed. The two stitchpunks managed to just get on the back of the bookcase as it came smashing down to the floor. 9 and 5 were thrown from the bookcase and to the floor. 9 groaned lightly, shaking his head.

"5! Are you okay?" 9 cried over the groaning of the cabin. 5's head appeared through the cloud of dust, nodding. 9 then looked up to the buttress, seeing that 7 had been left up there, safe, but stranded. Her fingers were curled tight around her right arm, and she looked like she was trying to figure out how to get down. 9 clambered onto the back of the fallen bookcase, then looked back up to 7 again.

"7, jump! I'll catch you!" He yelled, opening his arms. 7 paused, hesitant. Her nervousness and obduracy showed in her face. She wasn't supposed to be the one needing rescuing. However, it seemed she had no choice. Seeing her hesitancy, 9 reached up even further to her.

"I promise I will catch you. 7, please trust me. 7, you need to _jump_!" 9 cried, seeing that the rest of the cabin was beginning to crack. 5 stood nearby, terrified. 7's expression then turned into one of determination and she lowered into a crouch. Pain shot through her facial features, but she clenched her jaw and leapt. She fell through nothing but open air. 7 half expected to land on the hard wooden floor, but her other half obstinately told her that 9 was going to catch her and she wouldn't be hurt.

After falling what seemed like forever, 7 landed right in 9's arms. The two tumbled backwards off the bookcase, 9 landing on his back. However, he kept 7 tightly in his arms and she was unhurt. He sat up, and stood, keeping his arms around 7. Then he and 5 began to run to the stairs, trying to get out of the cabin before it came down.

A large piece of lumber suddenly fell from the roof and swung down. It smacked 9 right in the side of the head and sent him sprawling. 7 was knocked out of his arms and landed painfully on her right side. 5 whirled around, trying to go back to them. The walls were crashing down around them. 9 shook his head and reached for 7, trying to get her before she was crushed. Then, another large piece of timber fell from the ceiling and crashed through the second floor right beside 9. The floor gave way underneath him and he, 5, and 7 plummeted to the ground below them…

* * *

The dust began to settle and only splinters of the roof and second floor fell now. However, the entire cabin was slowly beginning to collapse. 5 slowly opened his eye and looked up. He was completely trapped underneath the rubble, but virtually unscathed. A large board blocked his escape.

"Oh…no, no, no." He said softly, touching the top of the board with his hands. With a grunt, he pushed up, as hard as he could muster. The block of wood that trapped him was lifted, and landed on its side with a dull thud. 5 quickly climbed out of the hole, and was standing on a mountain of splintered wood.

"Guys?!" He called, his frantic voice echoing throughout the destroyed house. "GUYS!"

Somewhere in the rubble, 9 woke, pushing himself up. He was trapped in a small hollow, with barely any room in which to sit up in.

"5?" He called back, trying to look through the wood, where only a hint of light streamed in. 5 then appeared, his single eye peering back at 9 through the gap.

"Are you okay?" He asked the younger stitchpunk below him.

"Yeah, I think so." 9 replied, trying to push the rubble off of him. 5 pulled as well and soon the space was cleared. He grasped 9's hand and pulled him up. 9 looked around, then reached down and grabbed the light staff, seeing that the bulb had survived the fall. They looked up as a slight creaking noise reached them. The rest of the cabin was collapsing now.

"Go, hurry!" 9 said, pushing 5 towards the crumbling door in front of them.

"What about 7?" He asked. The two hadn't heard one sound from the female ragdoll.

"I'll get her, just go!" 9 yelled over the cracking sound of the wood. He gave 5 a persistent push on the arm, before running into the dust and rubble. 5 wanted to follow, but instead turned around and ran for the opening.

"7? 7!" 9 kept calling, treading lightly, looking under every single scrap of wood he came across, trying to find her.

"9!" 7's call reached him, and he nearly smiled. She was still alive…

"7! Where are you?" 9 called back to her, relieved to hear her voice.

"I'm over here." She answered, her words cut off by a small, feeble cry of pain.

"I'm coming, just hang on." 9 promised her as he followed her voice across the floor and began to dig as fast as he could without making the rubble collapse on top of 7. Finally, he unearthed her. She was lying on her side, breathing labored. He could see why she wasn't able to free herself – she was trapped underneath a heavy piece timber.

"7, are you alright?" 9 asked as he crawled down to her. He seized the timber, and lifted up, concentrating his strength into freeing 7. She climbed out from underneath the piece of lumber, and she looked gratefully up at him.

"Fine…I'm fine." 7 said, placing a hand on the debris around her and lifting herself to her feet.

"Come on, we've got to go." He said to her urgently. She nodded and something startled 9 at the way she held herself.

"Yeah. I'm coming." She said, clutching her spear, and 9 ignored this feeling. But as they tried to climb out of the hole, 7 lost footing and fell to the ground.

"7?!" 9 cried, immediately jumping down after her.

"I'm fine," she repeated stubbornly, trying to stand once more, but she failed, her knees buckling underneath her. 9 caught her as she fell sideways and held her upright in his arms. She was slashed across her right arm, hip and thigh – deep, horrible gashes. The claws of the Cat Beast had torn her right down to her metal skeletal structure.

"You're hurt." 9 said softly, his horror evident in his face. He knew that she'd been hurt, but not this badly! She looked indignantly up at him.

"I'm _fine_." She growled, pushing him away and getting herself on her feet. 9 looked at her in concern, knowing she wasn't _fine_. 7 sighed impatiently.

"Stop worrying. We have got to get out of here before the roof comes down on top of us." She said firmly, and they both tried climbing out of the hole once more, 7 finally making it, 9 helping her. They were finally standing on top of the rubble, and they glanced at the rooftop. It was still creaking and groaning. 9 gave a small gasp, and they hurried to the exit, where 5 was apprehensively standing.

"Come on guys!" He yelled, trying to wave them to him. "Run!" But they needed no coaching. The groaning got louder as they ran across the rubble-filled floor. 7's footsteps became more and more labored as she clutched her arm, the pain growing all the more intense.

Suddenly, she tripped and was sent sprawling, unable to get back up. She tried, but soon relented and lay on the ground, panting.

"7!" 9 cried as he wheeled around and bent to her.

"No! No, go! Leave me here, you idiot!" She yelled at him angrily, pushing forcefully on his chest, making him nearly stumble.

"No, I'm not going to leave you." He said firmly and he slid his arms under her body and brought her to his chest, cradling her safely in his arms. She groaned softly, the searing pain coursing through her, weakening her greatly. More rocks began to fall around them. 9 ran across the floor, keeping 7 close to his chest, the rubble nearly crushing them both. A large piece of stone nearly came down upon 9 and 7, but he managed to leap out of the way, tucking 7's head into his chest to protect her. As he leapt, he threw himself into the open. 5 and the other two threw themselves to the ground, covering their heads, 9 protectively positioning himself over 7 as the old cabin finally collapsed. Rock and wood were strewn everywhere.

Lifting their heads, the three looked over their shoulders to see a cloud of dust rising from the rubble. 5 stood, panting, but 9 sat on his knees by 7, who lay on her back.

"You shouldn't have done that, 9. You were nearly killed." She said scornfully, propping her torso up on her elbows to where she could peer incredulously into 9's face.

"So? My life means nothing when my best friend is in danger." He said, firmness etched within his voice. 7 blinked, surprised, but then smiled at him, which soon turned into a grimace as she felt the pain escalating. She bent her head, her chin resting on her chest.

"Damn, this is going to ruin my whole day," she scoffed weakly, wincing and biting her lower lip. Her fingers curled into fists as another surge of pain rocketed through her small body. 9 kept a protective arm around her as he gestured to the other male stitchpunk.

"5, she's hurt…" 9 said to 5, who immediately came over. The skilled Healer looked over 7's wounds, biting his lower lip. 5 turned to 9. "We have to move somewhere that's not out in the open. Then I can heal her." 9 nodded and leaned towards 7. As gently as he could, he slipped his arms underneath the crook of her knees and behind her back. 9 stood, 7 clutched tightly in his arms. She made a small sound of discomfort. Usually, 7 would have refused any help from the young man. She would have insisted that she was fine enough to walk to the shelter on her own. However, much to her own confusion, 7 merely closed her eyes and rested her head against 9's zippered chest. He followed 5 to a small overhang of wood nearby, taking care not to jostle the injured female stitchpunk too much.

5 and 9 kneeled underneath the overhang. 5 quickly whipped off his pack, rummaging around inside of it after tossing out the wood splinters with an air of annoyance. 9 tenderly removed 7's skullmet, placing it on the ground. He then placed his hand behind her head, holding it up as she laid back into his arms. She smiled weakly up at her best friend, very grateful for his help.

"5, is she going to be okay?" 9 asked him, leaning forward. 5 examined 7's injured side with a trained eye.

"It's only her skin that was ruptured. Like the harpoon, remember?" 5 said, relief etched in his voice.

"Vividly." 9 answered acrimoniously, not wanting to remember.

"Well, it's an easy fix." 5 finished, smiling (if not a bit smugly) for an unknown reason. 7 snorted again from below, and 9 looked down.

"Why are you asking _him_ if _I'm_ going to be okay? It's my body, my injuries, shouldn't you be asking me?" She said, obviously annoyed. 9 blinked at her, then bent his head, embarrassed, breaking eye contact with the female stitchpunk. 7 rolled her eyes and gently took 9's fingers. He looked up at her.

"I'll be okay." She said, and he smiled. 5 then gave a slight "Ah!" and brought forth a long silver needle and a fair amount of dark grey thread.

"Okay, here…I need you to lift her up…" 5 said, instructing 9. He pressed his hand to her back gently, careful not to touch her scar, and lifted her into a semi-sitting position. This gave 5 room to sew up the rips more easily.

"Thank you," 7 said to 9 as 5 brought the needle through her thigh. He turned his gaze from 5 to look upon 7. She was smiling at him, warmly and he tentatively smiled back, unable to help it.

"C-can you tell me what I did wrong in fighting the Beast?" 7 asked breathlessly in a feeble attempt at taking a joking manner. 9's brow furrowed and he shook his head.

"Nothing. The Beast was –" 9 began, but 7 abruptly cut him off.

"9, there is always something you've done wrong if you get injured. Everything is key in a battle." 7 insisted stubbornly, her black eyes hardening. 9 was nearly as stubborn as she was and he shook his head.

"7, you are the best warrior, probably ever. These Machines are multiple times our size and it takes an insane amount of bravery to kill one. You did nothing wrong, Sev. Don't think that." 9 said, giving her hand a small squeeze. She winced as the needle passed through her skin again, then scoffed in annoyance.

"And how many times do I owe you my life now?" She asked, looking up at 9 in irritation.

"I'm not keeping track. However many times, you'll never be in debt to me. Ever." He promised. 7 blinked, then smiled softly and squeezed his hand tighter. Then, 5 moved on to the rip in her arm. He grimaced slightly, seeing that this was where the Cat Beast's claw had most deeply penetrated 7. As gently as he could, he inserted the needle into 7's canvas skin. 7 winced, her fingers nearly cracking 9's hand as she gripped it even tighter.

"I'm okay, guys. I'm fine." She told them reassuringly as they both looked down at her in concern. 5 and 9 shared a quick look of doubt in 7's words before 5 went back to healing 7. She kept a strongly impassive look on her face, but 9 knew that she was in a great deal of pain. It was obvious in how tightly she gripped his hand. He held hers back, squeezing tightly when 5 brought the needle out of her arm.

"Alright, you should be okay now, 7." 5 said, putting the needle back into his pack. 7's injuries were now healed. 9 helped 7 to her feet, and she gazed at him. They smiled at one another before 7 bent down and picked up her skullmet. She replaced her skullmet, then straightened. 7 stood tall, flexing her leg and smiling at 5. 5 smiled back before walking to the pile of debris that was once the cabin to find 7's spear and 9's staffs. 9 stared at 7, unable to look away. She seemed to shimmer, she was so beautiful. He was caught in that spell again, something that made his whole body feel weak. Warmth crept through his inner workings, all through his body, most predominantly on his face, on his cheeks...

"Come on, we've got to find the others." 5 said, shaking 9's arm to acquire his attention. 9 jumped, startled, but nodded. 5 handed him the light staff, which he gripped tightly in his fist.

"Thanks." 9 said softly, and the trio started to walk across the wasteland to find the others.


	14. I See The Truth

**Hullo my droplets! It's serious buisness time! Another chapter is here for you to read! I'm sorry to inform you all that two of my stories, Stitchpunks, Battery Not Included and The First Snows will have to be on temporary hiatus for awhile. Note I say temporary. These stories are in no way discontinued. I've been transferred to a new school and need time to adjust. Also, I'm sort of drained after finishing three major multi-chapters (MKA, Eternal, and Savior). So read, enjoy, and review! **

**~Cel**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: I See The Truth**

They didn't have to walk far to find the others. 5 led them to a tall brick wall. He stopped and tapped at it with his knuckle. A large butcher knife preceded the stitchpunk who held it out in front of him. As soon 8 as saw that it was only the three young ragdolls, he lowered his sword and held out his hand, beckoning for the others to follow him. They did as 8 led them to a small, rubble-filled corner where the rest of the coven were waiting, well out of the sights of the Machines. A sigh of relief reached them, as 2 hobbled out from the shadows to greet his friends. The twins raced past him, their pale faces alit with smiles. They ran up to 5, 9 and 7, throwing their arms around them and embracing them tightly.

The only problem now was this – where were the stitchpunks going to hide now? The cabin was completely destroyed. The twins, however, took the lead. They both went from one adult to another, tugging lightly on their hands and pointing into the Emptiness. The others agreed to follow and the twins started to guide the group towards the citadel tower as the dawn began to creep over the distant mountains. They kept turning around and waving the rest of their curious coven on, beckoning them to follow, scurrying in front of them quickly.

Finally, they reached a large, crumbling building. The stitchpunks followed 3 and 4 as they scurried across the large courtyard towards it. Towering stone statues of angels stood eerily over them, desolate and silent. Their stone wings were crumbling, their faces deteriorating sadly. 6, who was lingering behind, looking curiously at everything, suddenly stopped walking, and bent down. He wrapped his delicate fingers around the stiff stem of what used to be a flower. He lifted it to his eyes, examining it curiously. The remnants of bright red and orange were still evident upon the delicate and withered petals.

"Pretty." 6 said softly to himself. Suddenly, the flower was snatched away from him by a much larger hand. 6 jumped with a gasp and looked up at 8, who was glowering down at him and crushing the flower easily between four strong, brass fingers. He threw the crushed pieces down at 6's feet.

"Move!" He commanded in a dark voice. 6 hung his head sadly and quickly walked by, catching up with the others and not making any eye contact. The twins turned once more and waved the others on. They finally reached the building. They walked up to it, smiling. 7 smiled as well, her eyes lighting up as soon as she saw the building.

"You two are brilliant!" She cried out in a delighted whisper, coming to the twins and patting their backs. They both beamed up at her. 7 then took the lead, and led them around to the other side of the library. She looked warily over her shoulder, and then rounded a corner. The eight others followed her. She was standing beside a hole that seemed to have been blown in the side of the building. The twins shared a delighted glance, flickered to one another, and then darted into the hole. 7 waved the others forward, and they entered the opening as well. 9 walked through it, straightened, and looked up, blinking.

Giant stacks of torn, tattered, stained books loomed over the nine ragdolls. Bookcases leaned against one another limply and silently. Shattered globes stood on desks, and delicate celestial devices stood on the window sills – whatever was left of them, anyway. It appeared that some sort of Machine, in the early days of the war, had invaded this place and wreaked havoc upon it and any human that had attempted to hide within it. It seemed that they had entered some sort of ancient library or bookstore. 9 looked down to see the twins happily romping around the center of the library, their faces alit with recognition.

"It's like they've been here before." 9 said softly, mostly to himself as he watched them. 7, however, heard him, and answered.

"They have, and so have I. This is where we went when we first detached ourselves from the Cathedral. However, the Beast found us about a day after we left, and we had to relocate to the library you've been to." She explained to him. 9 nodded, still looking curiously around. The twins, who had run behind a bookshelf, were frantically waving and flickering to 9 around the corner, telling him to come to them. He began to walk over to them, the others following the twins as well.

As he rounded the corner, he saw that it was some sort of small clearing in the middle of the rubble. 3 approached 6 and the striped stitchpunk gasped happily as 3 handed him what he carried in his hands – a tiny tray of jet ink, which was, surprisingly, still wet, and a blank piece of parchment, the edges slightly singed.

6 happily took these from 3 and set them on the floor. 9 watched as he sat on his knees and carefully dipped his eight long, delicate nib fingers into the tray of ink. He shook some of the excess ink back into the tray, and turned to the paper. He set his hands down upon it, and began to draw, very quickly. 9 walked over to him, and kneeled beside him while he drew. He watched curiously as a picture formed itself onto the parchment.

"What is it?" 9 asked softly, looking more closely at the picture, which appeared to be finished. It was some sort of animal, snarling and evil. Towering above the animal, was a sinister-looking face, a human, it seemed. 6 looked up at him, brows raised. He held up one hand, his fingers wide, extending it towards 9. 9 looked down at the hand, and raised his own, tentatively placing it in 6's. His long fingers closed around 9's hand, and he guided it to the face above the animal.

"The Dark One." 6 told him softly, nodding. 9 gasped in realization and recognition as he looked at the face, then the animal more closely

"That's the Machine beast! The thing that fixed the Machine!" He cried. 1, 7, 5 and 2 rushed over at this cry, looking at 6's drawing as well. 9 pointed to the animal, which was, in fact not an animal, but indeed the Spine Machine, inscribed on the paper.

"He says that he," his copper finger trailed up to the human's face, "is the 'Dark One.'"

"The Dark One?" 1 scoffed, and 7 threw him an irritable glance.

"6, do you know anything about this?" 9 asked the banded prophet patiently. He nodded, still looking up at 9 with wide eyes, still sitting on his knees.

"Enemy to the Source." He said softly.

"Enemy to the Scientist?" 9 asked. 6 nodded once more, as if patiently waiting for the others to understand it all.

"Enemy to the Source." He repeated, softer this time. 9 shared glances with 1, 7, 2 and 5, who were just as perplexed as he was.

"The Scientist once said something about a colleague of his, if I'm recalling correctly," 2 said, looking deeply thoughtful.

"Do you think it's the Dark One?" 5 asked him, brow pulling towards the stitching of his eye patch in worry.

"I'm not sure." 2 replied, shaking his head. There was a sudden clicking behind them and they turned to see the twins flashing at them, pointing frantically and excitedly. 9 got to his feet and faced them.

"What is it?" He asked them. The twins then turned, and grasped a newspaper, holding it up to 9. He bent down to examine it, reading every other word or so…

"_The great Scientist of our time has disappeared_," the headline proclaimed. "_He is presumed dead until further notice, while famed colleague creates rival Machine_."

Underneath it, there was a large picture of a grizzled, old man, standing at a podium and talking triumphantly to a cheering crowd in triumph. He bore a strong resemblance to 1. Next to him was the Spine Machine, standing proud, much different-looking than now. Much to 9's surprise, 7 slapped her forehead, looking amazed.

"Of course! They found this _years_ ago! Why didn't I remember it?" She exclaimed, bending next to 9 and peering at the newspaper as well. Together, they read the quotes of the Dark One.

"_My colleague and I have recently broken our bonds. While he wishes to keep his Machine secret, I wish to help us prosper, and so, I create my own Machine, capable of stealth, tracking, sensors, everything a weapon of war could be. It also has a power source of my own design, only I and itself know its weakness. It has the ability to learn and evolve, and even fix broken Machines it finds on the battlefield. Together, our great country can someday take power of the world_."

"That's why you didn't remember, 7," 9 said, surfacing. "Look at how different it looks."

7 nodded silently, still staring at the paper. Suddenly, the twins tapped 9 on the shoulder. He turned to face them.

"They need to show you something else." 7 explained to him as he looked down at the two small ragdolls. They nodded in unison, and then 4 turned to face the wooden, oak back of the bookcase. He took a deep breath, heard only by his twin and closed his eyes. He opened them again, looking directly at the bookcase. Two bright lights protruded from his eyes.

"_The Fabrication Machine_," a picture of the Machine showed on the newsreel, while a male and female announcer made the broadcast, "_has been shut down until further notice, for it has created deadly weapons that have turned against our country. It has been concealed away for its and our own good. _

"_Reports claim it had created a single Machine of its kind before being shut down, but no sightings have been made." _The video began to flicker, and the speech became distorted for a moment before returning to normal. "…_former colleague_…_nd friend_…_has created a new Machine, but it has, too, turned against humanity. Efforts to repel the Machines have been futile as the number of losses amongst our soldiers, even our citizens, women and children, are on the rise. The most recent deaths among those found include…"_

The lights suddenly snapped back into 4's eyes and he nearly collapsed from exhaustion, startling many of the transfixed stitchpunks. 3 held his exhausted brother erect, worriedly checking him over. 9 stared at the twins, eyes wide.

"When did they find this?" He asked aloud to the room. To his surprise, 7 bent her head, looking a bit sheepish.

"Well…they found it a few weeks after…y'know, we began to live on our own, you, me and the twins. They showed it to me, but we decided not to show it to you, because you were still very devastated, and we didn't want to upset you further." 7 said, shrugging to herself. 9 blinked, mildly surprised.

"Well…um…er, thanks." He said, unknowing of which words to use for this act of kindness. Instead, he let it drop, and focused his mind on this new information. He began to take this information apart piece by piece within his mind and put it back together, like a jigsaw puzzle someone had put together all wrong.

"The last Machine the Fabrication Machine must have created was the Beast," 9 said slowly, thinking deeply.

"It was around ever since they did shut it down. Believe me, I've been fighting it ever since I awoke myself." 2 said to 9, nodding. He furrowed his brows, now thinking about the Dark One.

"Did the Dark One create the Machine beast to rival our Scientist?" 5 asked, and 9 nodded slowly, staring at the ground.

"He wanted to create war, like Chancellor did…but it didn't say how to destroy its power source." 9 said apprehensively, beginning to pace back and forth across the floor, thinking. "If we don't know that…then we can't kill it."

"How do we find it out?" 5 asked, nervously wringing his hands together. 9 shook his head, still pacing, the only sound in the room were the others' hushed breathing and the click of his feet against the floor.

"I don't know."

"This is your plan? Just blindly rush the Machines and attempt to kill them? How many of us are you willing to sacrifice now?" 1 said disdainfully. 9 stopped pacing and stared at 1, fury and anger boiling inside of him at the old man.

"Until I breathe my last breath, nobody will be sacrificed for any reason. We need to figure out some things before we even try to fight it." He said defiantly. 1 narrowed his eyes at 9. He was being challenged…

"All I know at the moment is that we need to get the talisman back." 9 said to the entire group.

"And how are we supposed to do that, exactly?" 1 sneered. 9 was silent for a moment, and an uncomfortable silence followed.

"_Language_," 6 said suddenly, breaking the eerie tension. Everybody turned to look at him, and he was vibrating. He suddenly sank to his knees slowly, trembling violently. His pupils dilated and his lips moved rapidly, forming silent words. He began to run his inked fingers through his hair, his breaths sharp. It appeared he was having some sort of serious emotional fit.

5 immediately ran to 6's side, kneeling beside him. He rubbed 6's back, whispering softly and reassuringly to his friend.

"It's alright, 6. It's okay. I'm here. I'm right here." He said soothingly, but 6 didn't seem to notice him. 9 kneeled too, confused and worried about 6's state. 5 seized the banded ragdoll's wrists, stopping him from inking his hair any further. 6 succumbed, still looking extremely frightened.

"What's wrong with him? Is he okay?" 9 asked 5 worriedly, still staring at 6 with anxiety.

"He's having a vision." He replied, still rubbing 6's back. He turned to the group behind him, and addressed them, "Hurry, get him some paper."

8 lumbered off hurriedly, around a corner, and came back with a huge stack of burned, crumpling paper in his arms. He laid it in front of 6 with a grunt. 5 took 6's hands and laid them on the paper.

"Tell us, 6." 5 said to him softly. Immediately, 6's hands flew rapidly across the paper. He wasn't even looking down to see his drawing. As if he could see it in his mind, his fingers did the rest. Quickly, each individual line formed a picture. Suddenly, 6 stopped shaking and ceased his relentless drawing. He blinked, his pupils returning to normal size. He shook his head, as if trying to clear it of frightening images. He looked up at the others, who all stared down at him in bewilderment. 6 took the paper in his hands and got to his feet a bit shakily. 9 and 5 followed, watching him warily.

6 looked up at the two, and gently handed the paper to 9, giving it a small shake. 9 took the paper from 6, studying the drawing closely. It was one of the talisman, but inside of it, there was a strange box shape. 9 furrowed his brows and looked closely at it, not understanding what it was.

"I don't understand." He told 6 quietly. 6 blinked, and helplessly tried to articulate it so it would make sense to his fellows who could not see.

"In the honor room. The box within the honor room." He said, pointing to the box-like shape, looking up at 9 desperately.

"The honor room? What do you mean?" 9 asked him patiently.

"The honor room, you will find there." 6 said, looking up at 9 with wide, intelligent eyes. He reached forward and gently touched 9's chest.

"Find what, 6?" 9 asked him softly.

"The answer. The answer to the Dark One you shall find there." 6 replied, nodding as if he knew that 9 understood him. 5 walked up to stand beside 9, staring at the paper he held in his hands. He pointed to the box.

"I wonder what this symbol means. He's never drawn it before." 5 asked softly. 6 looked up at him, bewildered with this whole thing.

"The honor room. The answer you shall find there." 6 told him desperately, as if his life depended on it. He took 9's hand and held it tightly, trying to make him understand, but 9 did.

"Honor room? What does that mean?" 7 asked. 9 looked up.

"7, was there anything in the place where we found answers?" 9 asked, memories running past his mind's eye in great surges. "A box or something?" He was plainly remembering the trophies and awards strewn all along it. 7 seemed to try and retrace her steps.

"I don't know…but I do think that's what 6 means by 'honor room.' The Scientist had many awards in that room. We should look."

"_What_?! We are rapidly running out of time, and we cannot afford to go after this idiocy while the Machines are rising again! 6 is not sane, he never has been! We must not follow this idiotic path!" 1 yelled, thumping his staff against the ground in irritation. 6 recoiled away from 1, even though he stood a few feet away, cringing as if he was a recently kicked puppy. 9 stared at him, at his hurt, heartbreaking expression. 9 felt anger boil up inside of him. How dare 1 treat 6 like he was some sort of freak? He couldn't help it, his visions and mind. He was born that way and 1 was treating poor 6 like he had no feelings at all. Unable to help his kind nature, 9 walked over to 6, who cringed as well as he approached. 9 gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We must go back to the honor room?" 9 asked 6 quietly. 6 nodded slightly, still staring at 1.

"No." 1 snarled, his fist tightening on his staff. 9 sighed, finally fully exasperated at 1. He turned to look at him in anger.

"1, this may be our only hope of finding out how to defeat the Machine beast and destroying all of the Machines!" The young soldier said firmly. "We have to take the chance."

"May I remind you of the last time you decided to _take a chance_?" 1 said softly, yet severely all the same, pointing at 2, who blinked.

"1, it's either we take a risk and have a chance, or none at all." 7 growled, stepping between 1 and 9. "I am not letting you lock us up again. You're treating 9 like he's the enemy here, when he's more than willing to risk his life to help us all. You're ungrateful he gives you a second chance at living, and the whole time you've known him, you don't trust him!" 7 said, her brow furrowing threateningly.

"It wasn't any of us who woke the Machine in the first place, girl." 1 answered, making a vague gesture to the group behind him. 9 blinked, his heart falling as he realized that 1 still counted him as an outsider.

"He didn't know! He thought it was doing us good. Yeah, he made a mistake, but ever since he awoke, he's been doing nothing but trying to help us." She replied. 1 and 7 had a fierce stare-down. 9, however, put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently.

"7, he's right, I did make a mistake." He said, voice gentle, pulling her to stand beside him instead of in front. "But 1, we need to focus on defeating the real enemy. We need to go back to the honor room." He said. 1 narrowed his eyes, and looked all around them, at each face of his coven staring up at him.

"Fine. We shall go back to the 'honor room,' and try to find this box. But I swear, if you lead us to more danger," 1 said, lifting a finger to 9, whom already knew the circumstances, nodded. Then, as 9 turned away from 1, as the others began to walk out of the library, 6 was peering up at him, eyes wide, searching his face the same way he had done before returning to life.

"You're the one to save us…the one to save us…" 6 said softly, taking 9's shoulders, and squeezing tightly. 9 didn't have one notion of what the banded stitchpunk meant by this. 6 blinked, eyes still wide, and withdrew away from the younger ragdoll, scurrying to the others, following closely behind 5. 9 blinked, staring at 6 for a fleeting moment, before walking after the others.

They didn't know of a Seeker coming back to the Fabrication Machine with the body of the Cat Beast.


End file.
